


Give Yourself a Try

by Starker1975



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bottom Peter Parker, Bullying, Celebrity Crush, First Meetings, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Lonely Tony Stark, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Marvel Cameos, Miscommunication, Not Actually Unrequited Love, POV Alternating, POV Peter Parker, POV Tony Stark, Peter has a Mr. Stark kink, Shy Peter Parker, Smart Peter Parker, Stark Industries, Top Tony Stark, Underage Peter Parker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:48:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 23
Words: 75,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28257954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starker1975/pseuds/Starker1975
Summary: Peter Parker applies for Stark Industries' most prestigious scholarship. Nobody thinks he actually has a chance at winning it. Tony Stark has a different idea.Translations Available:Russian/PусскийSpanish/Español*please note the translations are for the original upload, and I've edited and added to the story since*
Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark
Comments: 529
Kudos: 694





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome. This story was originally published in June 2018 with an epilogue added in February 2019. I deleted it in April 2019, and in that time, I know some copies have spread around, and the Spanish translation has been underway. Thank you for liking the story enough to seek it out. I take it as a major compliment. :)
> 
> If you didn't get a chance to save the story before, I hope it'll make you happy that it's available now. Also maybe some of you are new readers and didn't know this story even existed. I hope you'll enjoy it as well!
> 
> I'm going to be re-uploading the original version with a few edits and adjustments (nothing too intense, just grammar, word choice, and chapter organization.) It may take me a while because copying and pasting from the PDF I have into a word doc makes it a nightmare to reformat.
> 
> Lots of love. xx

* * *

“Hey, Parker,” Flash called, jogging to catch up with Peter. It was lunchtime, so everyone was headed to their lockers to put away their textbooks and work from the morning classes.

“Flash?” Peter asked hesitantly, glancing at Ned beside him.

“I just wanted to let you know before you hear it from somebody else,” Flash began gravely. “I got some kickass news!” His serious expression morphed into a cocky one.

“Oh yeah?” Peter offered. He rolled his eyes discreetly.

“Well, it’s time to apply for colleges, and all that. So I applied for some scholarships.” Flash shrugged. “No big deal.”

“That’s great. I assume you got one?” Peter shrugged in return, trying to be polite.

Flash barrelled on, “Yeah, Hammer Industries is great. They accepted my application within a week, dude. I’m getting 10,000 dollars a year as soon as I enroll.”

Peter nodded. “Good job, man. That’s great.”

“Peter applied for the Stark scholarship,” Ned blurted. “That’s full ride. No limit.”

Peter looked at Ned in disbelief. “Big mouth,” he muttered under his breath.

Flash stopped in the middle of the hallway to bend over and clutch his chest in mocking laughter.

“You. You applied for the Stark scholarship?”

Peter looked around nervously. Other students were starting to pay attention as they usually did when Flash got going.

“Yeah, right. Like you would ever qualify for anything from Stark Industries,” Flash argued. He eyed the small cluster of students listening to him before he continued. “They only take one applicant a year. You’re high to think they’d ever accept you.”

Peter frowned. “It doesn’t hurt to try.”

“You’re an idiot,” Flash cackled. “Why’d you even waste your time?”

Peter bit his lip, wondering if anyone would stand up for him. The other students just watched, waiting for Flash to say something else.

Peter spoke again, “It’s not that big of a deal. I’m sure everyone applied.”

Flash nodded. “I can’t get over it, though. Imagine Penis Parker being in the same room as Tony freaking Stark?” He held up his hands in question. “What a joke.”

“I can imagine it,” Michelle added, creeping up beside Peter and Ned. “He’d be pretty dorky. Kind of embarrassing, but I could imagine it.”

Peter sighed. Michelle was a great help as usual.

“I’m kidding. I’m kidding.” Flash waved his hand. “I just, wow.”

Peter pushed past Flash with Ned in tow. He tried to get to his locker quickly, avoiding the judgemental eyes of his fellow students. He knew that he had nothing to be embarrassed about.

Literally everyone applied for the Stark scholarship. Everyone knew it was a one-shot deal, and you had to be smarter than smart to receive it. Peter knew that Flash was just projecting his embarrassment onto him because he’d probably applied and been rejected. Everyone was rejected, though. It was like a rite of passage before going to college. Getting rejected by Stark Industries.

Peter was just proud of himself for trying.

“Flash is a dick,” Ned consoled Peter. “He probably applied and didn’t get in. I know if anybody has a chance it’s you.”

“Thanks, Ned,” Peter said quietly.

“Sorry for even saying anything,” Ned added. “You know how I get when he messes with you.”

Peter nodded. “It’s cool. I just don’t get why he picks on me in the first place. He doesn’t even really have good reasons? Like, everyone applies for the scholarship and gets turned down. Why does he have to single me out about it, you know?”

Ned shrugged. “Screw him. I’m serious. Peter, you’re like a genius. Even if you don’t get it, I wouldn’t be surprised if your other applications work out. I know you’ll get something.”

Peter offered Ned a small smile. “Thanks, man.” He held out his hand for their special shake.

* * *

Another week went by with Peter reading and rereading his application to Stark Industries. The scholarship process was rigorous. They wanted high grades, volunteer work, extracurriculars, multiple essays, and a proposal for an engineering or technological project. They also wanted a video. That had been the hardest part for Peter to figure out because there had been no other details aside for some basic guidelines.

The requirements for the video were that it had to be ten minutes in length minimum, and it had to be of a scientific nature. That could’ve been anything.

Peter had considered submitting a compilation of science Vines or doing a mock experiment, but he’d ultimately decided to do a short stand-up comedy piece. Ten of the twenty minutes he’d ended up recording had been science puns.

After he’d submitted the application, he watched the video every night, and he’d even shown it to his aunt for inspection. She laughed her head off, but he wasn’t sure if that meant Tony Stark would. He wasn’t really sure if geniuses like that had a sense of humour, or if Tony himself would even have anything to do with the application process. It was probably an HR team. What if they hated it?

Peter agonized, picking apart his essays for semi-colons and paragraph breaks. Word choice. Citations. What if SI hated that resource? What if he could’ve made his intro more concise? What if he had opened with a different joke to win over the crowd? He knew it wouldn’t make a difference now since it was in Stark Industries’ hands, but he couldn’t help but obsess.

It was awful. Everyone in his classes already had their rejection letters back, and Peter was still waiting on his. He had been one of the last to submit his application because he’d spent so long working on it, but it was getting out of hand. He felt sick every morning when he checked the mailbox. Peter was dying to know. He just needed to see the rejection letter, so he could stop worrying about it.

“Hey, Penis!” Flash grinned, walking into homeroom. “Any word on the Stark scholarship, yet?”

Peter shook his head. It wasn’t even 9 AM yet, and Flash was already starting.

“What’d you do for your video, anyways?” Flash prodded. “Striptease?

Peter frowned. “How’d you know there’s a video unless you applied too?”

Flash glared, “Video’s standard. Besides, if I didn’t get it, what makes you think you could? I at least had a chance when I applied.”

“I’m sure my rejection letter is on its way. I don’t get why you’re making such a big deal out of it.”

Flash didn’t know what to say at that. He figured it out after a pause. “I’m just trying to help you out, bro. I want you to be prepared. Don’t want you to get your hopes up.”

“Noted.” Peter held up a pencil and checked off the air.

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Michelle commented. “Nobody gets in. You’re just like everybody else.”

Peter sighed, “Thank you. So much.”

Michelle nodded as if she didn’t catch the sarcasm, “Anytime, Peter.”

* * *

When another week went by and Peter still hadn’t gotten his letter of rejection, he was starting to think he’d been worse than rejected. Stark Industries always sent out letters. One for school. One for home. No exceptions. It basically guaranteed that a student would receive it regardless of academic or parental negligence. There had never been anybody who hadn’t received at least one letter. Peter was missing two. Had they thought his comedy video was so bad that they couldn’t even spare the postage for a rejection notice? What if it had been so laughable—and not in the good way—that they were contacting other companies and foundations to blacklist him. Oh God. What if they thought he didn’t take this seriously? Maybe Flash was right. How could he ever be in the same room as Tony Stark. What made him think he had a chance?

“Peter?” May knocked softly on his bedroom door.

“Hey,” Peter mumbled.

“You left your phone out here,” May explained. “I answered it for you…but you look sort of…blah. Do you want me to tell them to try again later?”

Peter frowned. “Is it Ned?”

May shook her head, “No. It sounds like a girl. Here.” She handed him the phone.

Peter nodded, holding out his hand to accept the cell. May closed the door to give Peter privacy.

“Hello?” Peter asked. He tried not to let his misery flavour his voice, but it was difficult.

“Mr. Parker?” A woman asked.

“Yep, that’s me.”

“My name is Maria Hill. I’m part of the human resources team at Stark Industries.”

Peter didn’t know how to respond to that. All he could manage was a light gasp into the phone.

“Is it correct that you applied for the Stark Industries scholarship?” Maria continued.

“Uh…yeah.” Peter sat up in his bed at full attention. Shit. Was this it? A call instead of a letter. That was cold. He had to be in trouble. Maybe something had happened, though. Maybe there was a mail mix up and he would be able to apply again.

“Can you please confirm your application number, social security, and your date of birth?”

Peter gave the woman the information. He’d read his entry so many times and double checked that all of his identification had been correct that he had everything memorized.

“Excellent. Hold please.”

Peter gulped. Holy bejeezus, what was happening, here?

“Mr. Parker?”

Peter jumped when the hold tone gave way to a voice.

“Hey. Yeah. I’m Peter. Peter Parker.”

“Well, I certainly hope so,” the man on the other end offered.

“Uh…Sorry, but who. Uhm, with whom am I speaking?” Peter stammered. He tried to sound professional. “Are you like the head of HR or something because I am SO sorry. I know my application was a little unorthodox…I just. I wanted to do something different with the whole comedy video thing. It was a dumb idea. I’m so sorry, please don’t blacklist me…I—”

“Let me go ahead and stop you right there,” the man huffed. “This is not a reprimand phone call, Mr. Parker. I’m calling to tell you that we’ve accepted your application.”

“What?” Peter asked. What? Was this… Just. What?

“You’re getting the scholarship,” the man explained. “You’re not blacklisted.”

“I. Oh?” Peter wondered. That didn’t make any sense. He wouldn’t be accepted.

“Right,” the guy huffed. “You’ll have to forgive me. I don’t really do acceptance calls. Normally my team takes care of all this jazz, but I had to call you myself. Quite the opposite of what you thought, really, your little stand up routine was good. I’ve already watched it a few times. Never gets old.”

“Cool. Cool. Yeah.” Peter nodded. It took a second for his brain to process the words coming from the phone. This made absolutely zero sense. People didn’t qualify for the SI scholarship. This had to be a joke.

“No. Wait. I’m sorry. Who is this really? Is this Flash? Ned?” Peter demanded. He didn’t really think Ned would do that to him, but he wouldn’t rule it out.

“Kid, if you don’t know how to put two and two together are you really sure you’re going to college?”

Peter sighed.

“This is Tony. Tony Stark,” the voice said slowly.

Peter laughed into the phone. “Yeah, okay. Tony Stark would be calling me. Wow. You know, man. Might’ve been more believable if you just kept your fake secretary on the phone.”

Silence. Flash trying to cover up his laughter probably.

Peter continued. “Flash, dude. I don’t even know how you got my cell number, but this isn’t cool. You already gave me enough shit at school for not getting the scholarship. It’s not right for you to call me at home about it, too. Okay? You already told me that Stark would think I was a joke. I get it. Whatever. Just let it go, dude. Please don’t call me.”

Peter hung up the phone. What a fucking asshole. As if it wasn’t enough that Flash had to be a dick at school, now he was making house calls. Probably got his girlfriend to act like a secretary or something. Peter groaned at the thought of Flash now having his social security number. If Flash didn’t hate him so much, he’d be worried about identify theft. Flash probably wouldn’t do anything, though. Wouldn’t want to stoop to Peter’s level. It was all just for realism.

He put his head in his hands. Maybe he should just forget about school. If he wasn’t going to be able to get a scholarship, he wouldn’t be able to get into NYU let alone MIT.

* * *

Jarvis offered a prim, “Sir, the call has been disconnected.” The screen before Tony returned to its standby slideshow.

Tony leaned back in his chair, spinning around once. He looked around his workshop with a confused frown. “What the hell was that?” he said to himself. Not many people, actually, exactly zero people had ever hung up on him. Especially not strangers. Especially not struggling teenagers. And most especially not anyone he’d ever called from his private line. Ten people tops had that number.

Tony wondered what he was doing. He knew he was way out of his depth with Peter Parker. He’d never personally contacted a scholarship recipient. He’d never felt the need. That was what his team was for. Really, the scholarship was a drop in the bucket at the company. Between the scholarships from the different departments, the grants for research projects, the outreach programs, and the charitable donations…if Tony Stark personally met everyone on the receiving end of his generosity, he wouldn’t have time to breathe let alone keep a company afloat.

Pepper’s judgment was always sound, so Tony hadn’t even questioned her when she sent the first email telling him to check the kid out. If her assessment was that he was winner material, then that was that. He had planned on approving her decision without giving the application a second glance like he usually did, but he had decided to give it a full run-through on a whim. Mostly since Pepper seemed more enthusiastic than she usually did about scholarship contenders. Tony had quickly realized he was right to pursue it. Something about Peter Parker interested him. He had even watched the video.

The boy had such a spark. Devastatingly handsome, sure, but gracious and intelligent. Humble. Cute. He’d begun his video by thanking Mr. Stark and Stark Industries for their time. He’d been so nervous, but jokes and anecdotes just kept rolling out of him. Tony’s favourite part was when the kid started laughing at himself and had to take a moment before continuing with his little routine.

The proposal for the polymer cable had really sealed the deal for Tony. He hadn’t seen anything so light and malleable with that sort of tensile strength to boot. It was remarkable, and the kid was only 17.

Tony hadn’t been nervous to call Peter Parker for the first time. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but that was different from being nervous. He figured he’d get screaming or crying. Disbelief, gratitude. People were usually excited to know that their future was paid for.

Whatever Tony thought he was going to get, it certainly wasn’t this. Peter had floored him. Surprised him. That never happened.

Not five minutes after Peter disconnected, Tony was searching Midtown High’s directory and database for the Flash that Peter had mentioned. If this person was in Peter’s head so much that he couldn’t even accept a call from Tony Stark, then something must be seriously wrong.

When he finally located _Eugene’s_ info, he had to laugh. The connection between the name Eugene and the nickname Flash wasn’t something Tony would call apparent. He imagined the kid probably paid people to call him Flash, so he could feel like a big boy.

The school had an online yearbook which Tony flipped through. He found Peter’s individual photos, and the group shots from robotics, band, and the decathlon team. Every photo showed the kid next to a tall girl, Michelle, and a short fellow. Ned, apparently. Tony remembered Peter mentioning him too. They seemed to be pretty tight. Tony wondered exactly what this bully, Flash, was saying to Peter to make him so quick to doubt himself. Tony didn’t like it.

He planned on leaving it at that; if Peter wouldn’t trust a call, maybe he was better off giving the go-ahead to send him the acceptance package in the mail. Maybe he could call after to confirm he had received it? Tony scoffed at himself when every scenario he planned in his head involved him still calling Peter.

So, that was happening.

He couldn’t explain it. He knew beyond a doubt that this wasn’t his problem. Notifying Peter Parker about winning the scholarship or interfering with his high school drama. Both things were way below his paygrade. Still, he couldn’t shake the thought of Peter going to school miserable, thinking he didn’t deserve a win. He wanted to see if he could help.

Tony decided he might as well just see the kid in person. If Peter had trust issues and was going through a rough time, then it was the least he could do.


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter gets a surprise visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, everybody! Here is chapter 2. Just for a little background, the original story was 61 chapters, the first 60 alternating between Tony and Peter's POV. It left some chapters VERY short because Tony's POV is fairly limited. In this repost, I've decided to combine short chapters like that with Peter's, so the chapter count will end up being about 35, I suspect, but the word count will be very similar to the original 75,000. (You know I'm obsessed with my 75's. ;))
> 
> A HUGE thank you for your support on the last chapter and on tumblr (starker-1975). It means the world to me. Hearing from everybody and reuniting with so many people was a real blessing. Not just reuniting but meeting too! Such lovely people in the Starker fandom. I can't even believe it. I have so much love for you all. xoxo.

As miserable as Peter was, he had no choice but to go to school the next day. He had a Spanish quiz, and he hated bailing on Ned.

“Hey, what’s up?” Ned asked when Peter got to his locker.

“Flash called me last night,” Peter whispered heatedly. “He tried to act like he was Tony Stark. Calling me to give me the scholarship.”

“Are you serious?”

Peter nodded. “He even had his girlfriend or sister, or something, pretend to be a secretary. He asked me for my social security.”

“Dude, that’s so uncool. Do you want me to come with you to tell the principal or something?” Ned offered.

Peter shook his head. “It’s okay. I’m just praying he doesn’t say anything to me about it today. I just want to forget the whole thing.”

Ned nodded. “Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.”

Peter stiffened in his desk when Flash entered the room. He knew what was coming.

“Penis, wassup?” Flash clapped Peter on the back.

Peter glared.

But that was it. No comment about last night. No digs about the scholarship. Peter sort of felt proud of himself. He’d stood up to Flash. Maybe it had worked. Maybe Flash realized that he had taken it too far, and he was silently agreeing not to bring it up.

Peter was satisfied for the rest of the day when Flash didn’t go beyond his usual teasing. He got through his Spanish quiz, and then it was time to go home. Friday night.

When he got home, Peter went straight to his room and closed the door. He tossed his backpack aside and changed out of his jeans and t-shirt into loungewear. He was unquestionably staying in. Aunt May was on the afternoon shift anyway, so he was on his own for dinner.

Peter went to his computer, choosing to mope over his application again. He read through the word document for the hundredth time. He glanced over his proposal. He watched his comedy routine. He sighed and tried to look at his application objectively.

 _Okay, if you were Tony Stark, what would you actually think of this_. No matter how many times he looked everything over, he couldn’t bring himself to feel embarrassed or regretful. He’d worked hard, and he was proud of himself. If Stark Industries didn’t want to give him a scholarship, that was fine. He’d done his best.

Peter opened his browser to Google—time to do some recon. Although, he didn't know if it counted as recon when his search results indicated that he'd visited these pages several times before. Peter liked to be thorough.

He searched Stark Industries. He looked up the previous recipients of the scholarship. He typed _Tony Stark_ into the search engine with a smile. Based on intel, new and old, it was impossible to formulate any solid opinion on the man. In one interview, Tony would be charming and open. In the next, he would be closed off and moody. Peter had no idea what was going on behind the man’s technicolour glasses. The only thing that seemed to be constant with Mr. Stark was that he was always impeccably dressed, and his facial hair was always razor sharp. If Peter was being honest, he considered the man to be quite attractive. Always had. But thinking Tony Stark had good looks wasn’t going to get him a scholarship, unfortunately.

A knock at the door interrupted Peter’s thoughts and left him confused about who it could possibly be. He’d almost missed the noise because his bedroom door was shut. Nobody had buzzed the apartment, and May wasn’t due back for a few hours. He figured it must’ve been the landlord or a neighbour, otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to get past the entrance to the building.

“Coming!” Peter called, emerging from his bedroom.

Peter opened the door without bothering to check the eyehole.

‘Hey’ died on his lips when he found himself standing across from Tony Stark.

“Y-you’re…” Peter’s eyes bugged out.

“You are definitely Peter Parker.” Tony smirked. “I recognize that stammer anywhere.”

Peter gaped.

“I like your style,” Tony offered, taking off his purple glasses and stowing them away in his suit jacket. “Pink pyjama bottoms? Ironic graphic tee. We’ll make an engineer of you yet.”

Peter took a moment to process Mr. Stark’s words before looking down at his body. Oh yeah. He was wearing pyjamas. In front of Tony Stark. Nice.

“Mr. Stark,” Peter managed. “Do you wanna, you know, come in?”

“Lovely.” Tony inclined his head toward Peter. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Peter moved aside to allow Tony to walk by.

“You want something to drink, or?” Peter offered. “A snack. I think we got Doritos or something.”

Tony smiled at the boy. “No thank you, I’m here to talk about you.”

Peter nodded meekly. “Okay, okay. Cool. We can go sit in the living room.”

Tony raised his eyebrows in assent.

Peter tried to remain calm as he walked over to the couch. “Here you go, sir.” Peter gestured for Tony to sit down. He remained standing, crossing and uncrossing his arms. He tried to reach for pockets to stuff his hands in, but the pyjamas didn’t have any pockets. Major design flaw.

“Get over here,” Tony suggested, patting the couch next to him.

Peter walked over, sitting opposite to Tony on the couch. There was one cushion between them.

Peter couldn’t even fathom that he was sharing the same room with Mr. Stark, let alone sharing a piece of furniture.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Stark,” Peter began in a rush. “I could go put on a suit or something. I just didn’t expect…”

Tony held up a hand. “Please. This suit is last season. I’m practically in pyjamas, too. Don’t worry about it.”

“Are you sure? No drinks? Or like a dessert? Can I get you anything?”

Tony smirked. “Just settle down, kid. Okay? I’m here to talk to you about the scholarship.”

“Oh, yeah. Of course. For sure. Please, continue.” Peter feigned calm.

Tony crossed his legs. “As I tried to tell you on the phone, you’ve qualified for the Stark Industries scholarship.”

Peter frowned. “Ex… Sorry. ‘Scuse me?”

Tony inclined his head politely. “Let me start again. My name is Tony Stark. You are Peter Parker. You have qualified for my scholarship. Still with me, dear?”

Peter inhaled. “Wait. That was you on the phone? Oh my God. I hung up on you.”

Tony nodded. “Believe me, that was a first.”

“Oh, no. Did it go to someone else? Did I lose it?” Peter panicked. “I just…the kids at school. I thought—”

“Flash Thompson,” Tony supplied. “Yeah, well. No. I looked him up after you disconnected. Gotta say I’m a bit offended to be compared to him, but… what can you do?”

“Oh, God,” Peter huffed, putting a hand to his head. “You came all the way out here because of me? I’m an idiot. It could’ve just been a letter or a call…”

“Let’s just call it a misunderstanding.” Tony shrugged.

Peter nodded.

“So, you’re thinking MIT, then?” Tony added. “Ambitious.”

“If MIT is too expensive, I could just go somewhere else. NYU or something, well, actually NYU’s more expensive,” he mused mostly to himself. “I mean, I know the scholarship is supposed to be for a full degree’s worth of tuition, but I’d be happy even just to get a thousand bucks.”

Tony wore an amused expression while he waited for Peter finish trying to talk himself out of the money he’d earned.

“You know, Mr. Parker,” Tony began, “You might be the only applicant who’s ever said that to me.”

Peter shrugged. “I don’t know. When I applied for it, I never expected to get it. Nobody does. I know my grades aren’t the best, but I really tried. That’s mostly the reason why I acted that way on the phone. It was just too easy to believe it was a joke. That I was a joke.”

Tony frowned. “You have the highest grades in your entire school. Your file impressed my team so much that they actually flagged it for me to consider personally. I admit that I may have neglected it for a week or four, but when I got to it. I had to agree with my staff.”

“I had no idea, Mr. Stark,” Peter admitted. “I thought the video thing might’ve been dumb.”

“That’s kind of the point, though,” Tony countered. “We don’t give you specific parameters on the video because we want to see your creativity. Some kids just did videos of themselves doing environmental speeches, or clips of them working on projects. None of those students came across as loving science. Maybe they love money or bragging rights, but that’s not what we’re about. Plus, most of the kids that applied could afford their education without my help.”

“You might not be about it, but you definitely have money. And bragging rights,” Peter laughed.

Tony grinned. “Seriously, kid. Be proud of yourself. Your jokes were funny enough, but your proposal for the polymer cable was impressive.”

“Seriously?” Peter asked with wide eyes. “You really think so?”

“Sure,” Tony said easily. “Of course, you have a scholarship for anywhere you want. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re accepted to MIT, but I can take care of that. If you want. Unless you have some complex about needing to be accepted without connections.”

“This is the greatest day of my life,” Peter breathed. “Mr. Stark. Honestly. Thank you. I won’t let you down. I promise.”

“Good.” Tony clapped Peter on the shoulder.

“Wow. I don’t know what to say, sir. I mean…I know you’ve always had money, so it’s not the same. But you can’t imagine what it’s like for someone like me.”

Tony smiled softly. “Don’t sweat it, kid.”

Peter quirked his lips. He was starting to feel less awkward and tense. Tony Stark didn’t seem so bad. He wasn’t that intimidating. Really, he was just nice?

“So, how about a tour, Pete,” Tony asked.

“Seriously?” Peter shot up off the couch. “You want to see…” he trailed off. “Yeah, okay!”

Peter watched with fascination as Tony rose of the couch. He rebuttoned his suit jacket.

“Okay,” Peter started. “This is the living room, obviously. May and I had a hell of a time getting the couch up here. We found it at this thrift store, and they didn’t have a delivery service or anything. So we carried it all the way down the street and then up here. It was crazy.”

“How much you snag it for?” Tony grinned.

“Twenty bucks,” Peter answered with pride. “Oh, and that’s nothing. Guess how much my computer was?”

Tony smirked. “You got me. I suppose less than 20?”

“Free.” Peter grinned, walking around Tony toward his bedroom. He walked through the doorway, glancing back to see if the man was following.

“Oh, wow,” Tony said appreciatively. “How resourceful.”

“Yeah, I sort of picked it up from the side of the road?” Peter brought up his hand to scratch the back of his neck, and then he saw Tony staring at his computer screen.

“Shit.” Peter grimaced, striding over to the computer to exit the browser that currently had a BuzzFeed listicle open on the screen. He hadn’t gotten the chance to read it since the very subject of the list had knocked at his door.

“Thirty Reasons Why Tony Stark is the Hottest Guy in New York,” Tony recited.

“I…I didn’t read it,” Peter said lamely. He already knew Tony was hot and didn’t need a list. He resolved to restore the window as soon as Tony left. Maybe he would find something interesting he didn’t know before. Obviously, it was for research purposes.

Tony shrugged. “Can’t believe all they could come up was thirty.”

Peter grinned in relief. God how embarrassing. He’d already been babbling about his dumpster diving, and now he was caught red handed in the middle of his evening stalk. What other ways could he humiliate himself in front of Tony Stark?

“Anyway. Uh. The kitchen?” Peter suggested.

Tony paused at Peter’s desk, glancing at the papers, books, and random technology that littered the surface. He picked up a page with variations of _MIT, SI, STARK_ , and _PETER_ written in all sorts of fonts. The words were formed together in a giant cluster that almost looked like a crossword puzzle. Peter had also drawn various formulas, spiderwebs, and equations in the rest of the empty spaces—nothing too damning, as long as the chaotic designs kept Tony from noticing the big heart with _TS_ written in the middle.

“Oh, heh,” Peter laughed nervously. “I get distracted from homework sometimes. Just some random doodles.”

Tony quirked his lips. Meanwhile Peter was blushing and doing his best impression of a deer in headlights. He needed to cause a distraction. Perhaps pulling the fire alarm?

“Hey, uh, Mr. Stark. I’m gonna go get something to drink. You sure you don’t want anything?”

Tony shook his head politely.

Peter shot finger guns at Tony and fled the room.

He returned a moment later with two cans of Coke. He cracked one open and set the other on the closest surface to Tony. It was there if he wanted it.

Tony picked up the can to inspect it before he opened it.

Peter tried not to make too big of a deal of it, but he couldn’t help but be excited. He’d offered a drink to Tony Stark, and he was gonna drink it! _Tony Stark is in my bedroom._

Tony set the can back on the desk without taking a sip.

“Kid, do you have a straw?”

“A straw? Of course, Mr. Stark.” Peter went back to the kitchen.

Tony nodded in approval when Peter came back with a metal straw. “Caring about the environment is attractive, Mr. Parker,” Tony offered, sliding the straw into the can and holding it up for a toast.

Peter’s eyes lit up. It was so bizarre to see Tony Stark doing normal things like drinking Coke.

Peter looked around his room to see if there was anything else incriminating. He realized he’d asked Tony to come into the kitchen to finish the tour, but neither of them had moved.

“Kitchen, then?” Tony broke the silence.

“For sure.” Peter nodded, clutching his drink and exiting the bedroom.

Tony followed Peter.

“Sorry, sir, but isn’t this like, tedious for you or something? I mean, you don’t have to tour my apartment. You don’t have to be nice,” Peter commented lightly when they got to the kitchen. “I’m sure you’ve seen a lot better.”

Tony shrugged. “I wanted to get to know my new protégé. To tell you the truth, once you’ve seen the things I’ve seen, or once you have a bank account that does nothing but grow…the little apartments in Queens become fascinating. I dig your little trinkets. Your struggling teen vibe. I don’t get that a lot.”

“Oh. Okay. Yeah, cool.” Peter nodded. “I just didn’t want you to feel like you had to or something.”

“Believe me, I don’t do anything I don’t want to, Mr. Parker,” Tony responded.

“All right, well welcome to my crib.” Peter grinned, opening up the fridge.

“Peter, I am so disappointed in you,” Tony scoffed. “No champagne? No second fridge just loaded with Red Bull. I’m disgusted.”

Peter laughed. “We have a second apartment next door for all that kind of stuff.”

Tony smirked, finishing the last of his Coke.

“Mr. Stark, can I…Can I tell people? About the scholarship?”

“Course you can,” Tony replied. “Why, you wanna stick it to those kids at school? Rash was it? Wait, no don’t tell me. Trash?”

Peter laughed, “Oh my God. Yeah. Flash.”

“Oh, that was my third guess.” Tony snapped his fingers.

“No, I don’t want to tell him. Just like my aunt and my best friend, I guess.”

Tony quirked his head. “You don’t wanna brag to the school? Get them off your back?”

“Nah. I don’t need to prove myself to them.”

“They still giving you shit?”

“Everyday,” Peter admitted. “Which I don’t really get, Mr. Stark. They all applied, you know? They all got rejected. But for some reason Flash just likes to rub it in.”

Tony frowned. “He went to Hammer, didn’t he?”

Peter nodded, impressed. Tony really did his research.

“Well, don’t be surprised if they go bankrupt and he loses anything he was counting on.”

“No way. Really?”

Tony winked.

“To tell you the truth, I thought that since I didn’t hear anything back from your company that I was worse than rejected. I thought you hated the video so bad that I wasn’t even going to get a letter.”

“Everyone gets a letter.” Tony shook his head. “No matter what garbage they send in.”

Peter played with the tab on his can while he listened to Tony.

“Here, let me show you something,” Tony said after a moment. He put his hand in his pocket.

Peter’s eyes widened when Tony pulled out a rectangular piece of glass framed with a sleek black case.

Tony tapped the glass a few times, and then a holographic image of his screen was projected into the air.

Peter could do nothing but gape. It made his iPhone look like a dollar store calculator.

“Read.” Tony gestured, pushing the screen through the air closer to Peter.

Peter read the first sentence of the email Tony was sharing with him: “Good morning, Tony. We believe that this applicant should be considered for the scholarship.” He scanned through the rest of the paragraph, speeding through all of the professionalism and necessary niceties silently until he got to the end. In brackets, Miss Pepper Potts had written: This kid Peter is hilarious. His proposal is the most interesting thing I’ve seen since we started doing this, Tony. Seriously, check out his application. Call me as soon as possible. Let me know if you agree.

Peter could feel his smile expanding across his entire face while he read. He flicked his gaze to Tony to gauge his expression. He was watching fondly.

Peter continued, reading Tony’s response to the email a month later. “The kid’s perfect. I’ll call him myself.”

“See? You were a shoo-in from the beginning. No way we were rejecting you.”

Peter had no idea what to say to any of that; he was stuck on Tony calling him perfect. He racked his brain for something to say. Anything.

“Do you want another Coke?” Peter asked bashfully, eyeing Mr. Stark’s empty can.

“No, thank you. I better skedaddle.” Tony checked his watch.

“Oh, you’re going?” Peter wondered, a little too sadly. “Okay, no problem.”

Tony walked out of the kitchen toward the door.

Peter trailed after the man. He was still at a loss for what to say. The whole encounter had been unprecedented. What was one supposed to say to a genius billionaire who was about to fork over hundreds of thousands of dollars for a scholarship? Peter didn’t feel like he had any common ground with Tony besides loving science and technology. Despite that, the man had been friendly and courteous. Peter hadn’t expected that from him. People as good looking and as successful as Tony weren’t usually so polite.

“Seriously, Mr. Stark. Thank you for coming out here. Again. I didn’t mean any disrespect when I hung up on you. I really appreciate everything.”

“Forget about it.” Tony waved. “Expect a package in the mail. Maybe another phone call. Like I said, I don’t usually deal with this sort of thing personally.”

“Great.” Peter extended his arms. “This is great. I can’t thank you enough. Hopefully I might see you soon? I don’t really know how the whole thing works.”

Tony grinned. “All right. Good work, again. Mr. Parker.” He held out his hand for Peter to shake.

Peter smiled, taking Tony’s hand. Wow. “Do you want me to walk you down? You got it?”

“Heh, maybe if you weren’t in pyjamas, kid. Looks a little suspect if you know what I mean.” Tony winked.

Peter watched Tony turn on his heel and walk out the door toward the elevator. He stumbled forward after the man who was already halfway down the hallway, some guy in a black suit trailing after him. A bodyguard.

After a few moments, Peter finally went back into the apartment and closed the door.

“This is insane,” he whispered to himself, grateful that he had the entire weekend ahead of him to process what had just happened.

* * *

Tony smirked as he walked toward the elevator alongside Happy. The paper he'd scooped from the kid's desk was burning a hole in his pocket. Tony had known as soon as Peter had opened the door that he was completely fucked. From the kid's pink pyjama bottoms, to the adorable blush, and the unwavering courtesy. Peter Parker was special.

The best part was that the kid seemed interested in him too. The BuzzFeed thing had really skyrocketed his ego, but he chalked that up to research. The little doodles of Peter’s had been the cherry on top of the smitten sundae. The page had been the equivalent of a sixth grader’s notebook when they had a crush. It had been one doodle away from reading Mr. Peter Stark. Just enough to warrant Tony swiping it.

What? It had his name on it.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beautiful art by Shivanessa. :) xx


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Tony have another conversation. Flash is still on Peter's case about the scholarship.

When Peter got to school on Monday, he was bursting with excitement. He’d held in his news from everybody except his aunt all weekend. Peter had explained to May about Tony’s visit. How awkward he’d felt at first. The pyjama situation. How he couldn’t believe that Tony Stark had actually been in the same room with him let alone personally awarding him thousands of dollars.

The only proof he had of Tony’s visit and its implications was the empty Coke can sitting on his desk. Not to mention his page of doodles that he was pretty sure Tony had snagged—although a missing paper didn’t exactly prove anything. He wasn’t certain that Tony had taken it anyway—what would he want with it? Even if he had, Peter couldn’t judge. After all, he hadn’t washed Tony’s straw yet, and he’d been using it for all of his drinks. (He was 17 and allowed to be a little creepy.) And if Tony had taken the page, he probably had a good reason for it. Someone like Tony Stark probably had good reasons for everything he did.

Peter wanted to tell everyone at school and prove that he could be successful contrary to Flash’s beliefs, but he also knew he had nothing to prove to anyone. Especially not Flash. Let him keep teasing. Like May said, Flash’s words said nothing about Peter and everything about his own negative spirit.

Besides the nobler reason, Peter still felt like it was all a dream, and he didn’t want to say anything to Ned or to anyone else until Stark Industries sent him his proof of acceptance in the mail. He shared a special secret with Tony, and he didn’t want to let anyone else in on it. As if saying it out loud would take away the magic of it and undo the spell. 

The whole thing was too much; his life had gone from mundane to interesting in the blink of an eye.

* * *

“Parker!” Flash perked right up when Peter walked into the library. It was 3PM on a Monday. Decathlon practice. “What’s a five-letter synonym for Peter?”

Peter side-eyed Ned.

Flash dinged the answer bell. “Loser!” He giggled and kept dinging the bell.

“Good one,” Peter muttered with an eye roll. He couldn’t even find it in himself to be angry, though. He had the Stark Industries Scholarship. Tony Stark liked him. He was no loser.

“What’s the name of the company that would never give Peter a cent even if he was living on the streets in front of their tower?”

“Flash,” Peter warned. “Just stop it.”

“Stark Industries!” Flash cheered.

Peter looked at his teammates. They were all looking at him sympathetically, but nobody said anything.

“Don’t worry, dude.” Michelle smiled. “I’m sure they’d at least give you a few bucks. Maybe they might even spare you some lunch. Although homeless rates in the city are going up, so it’s hard to say. Maybe they wouldn’t.”

Peter raised his eyebrows at Michelle in disbelief. She was like the queen of not helping.

Ned crossed his arms and addressed Flash. “They didn’t give you a cent either. Hammer was the only company who even bothered, and they suck.”

Flash grimaced. “At least I got something. Literally everyone has gotten at least something from somewhere. Far as I know, Penis is the only who hasn’t heard back from anywhere. Unless he was dumb enough to only apply to Stark, or he got an offer so pathetic he’s embarrassed—”

“Flash, that’s enough,” Mr. Harrington cut in. “Give Abe the bell. You’re an observer today.”

“This is bullshit,” Peter complained under his breath, his dormant anger finally surfacing. He walked out of the library. He’d tried not to let Flash bother him, but it was hard not to care. He’d been enduring the teasing for almost four years. When would the idiot finally get a clue? Tony had only heard about him once and could already tell he was a dick. How could Flash not see that he was out of line when he had to live with himself constantly?

Ned followed Peter out of the library. “You okay, man?”

Peter shook his head. “I’m so sick of this.”

Ned nodded. “I know. It’s okay, though. Don’t pay attention to him. He’s just jealous of you because you’re smarter than him.”

Peter nodded.

“Even if you don’t get a scholarship from anywhere. You’ll still amount to more than him. You’re a good person,” Ned offered.

“That’s the thing, though.” Peter grabbed his head with both hands. “I got the scholarship.”

“Tony Stark came to tell me personally, dude,” Peter continued, throwing his hands up in the air. “That’s the worst part. He’s making fun of me for something that’s just not true.”

Ned looked like Peter had when Tony originally told him the news.

“I didn’t want to say anything…but I’m getting so tired of it,” Peter complained.

“Peter. Are you serious? You have to tell everyone! Get them off your back. If you got the scholarship, Flash would shut up forever. What are you waiting for?”

“It’s not worth it.” Peter shook his head. “I don’t owe them anything. They shouldn’t be teasing me anyway.”

“Are you actually for real? You’re not just messing with me? You’re a hundred percent absolutely serious you got the scholarship.”

“I’m serious.” Peter nodded.

“This is crazy.” Ned put a hand to his heart.

“As soon as my acceptance package comes in, I’ll show it to you,” Peter explained. Then, with a grin. “Ned. I actually got it.”

“Dude. I have the coolest best friend ever.”

“No, I do,” Peter joked. “For real, though. He came to the apartment. Like my actual apartment. We sat on the couch together. Apparently when Flash called me, it was actually him. I hung up on Tony Stark. Can you believe it?”

“So awesome,” Ned sighed in awe. “I don’t even know what to say. Everything I could say doesn’t even come close to saying how _cool_ this is.”

Peter knew exactly what Ned meant. “I guess we should go back in.” After talking things out with Ned, he didn’t feel as pissed off. He figured he could handle Flash a little bit more.

“Are you sure you don’t want to tell everyone?” Ned wondered. “I’ll tell them if you’re shy.”

Peter held his hand out for their special shake. “They’ll find out someday. When the time’s right.”

* * *

Peter didn’t have to wait more than a few days before his paperwork came in the mail. He scooped the package from the mailbox and put it in his backpack. He was so thrilled about it that he practically skipped his way to school. He couldn’t wait to open the package and read his letter, but he was saving it until he was in the privacy of his own bedroom. Undoubtedly there would be some sort of process required of him, an official acceptance meeting, or a ceremony of some sort. Peter had no idea. If there was a party or even an article published, he wouldn’t be able to keep things much of a secret. That was fine, though, since he wanted to come out with it eventually. Just not with Flash breathing down his neck. He didn’t want to play right into the boy’s taunts

The only thing that would give Peter away was the second package Stark Industries would send directly to the school. If Peter got called down to the office and was seen handling mail from the company that wasn’t just the thin envelope everyone else had received, the jig would be up. Peter hoped that since Tony had given him his acceptance firsthand, that one piece of mail would be enough, and he wouldn’t have to worry about getting one at school.

The only other mail Peter was anticipating was his acceptance package from MIT—if Tony used his connections, which Peter had every confidence that he would. Even if he didn’t, there was a good chance he’d be accepted on his own merit, anyway. He sure hoped so since the Stark Industries Scholarship was only useful if he got accepted to a university or college, so it did come with contingencies. As in, if no school wanted him, he would have to forfeit the scholarship money. That was unheard of, though; if you were good enough to be accepted by Stark Industries, then you were good enough for any school you wanted.

He had to admit that he was proud of himself. May was even prouder—completely over the moon, actually. The only words she seemed to know how to say since finding out the good news were, “wow,” and, “I knew you could do it.”

Peter tried to get used to the fact that he’d done it, and he didn’t need to be worried about his future because it was taken care of, but it wasn’t easily digestible. Neither was the fact that Tony Stark had said he was perfect. He was still hung up on that.

It was especially hard to accept that his life had changed so drastically when Flash kept up his digs at school. Every time Peter was within hearing range, he just had to ask, “Did you hear from Stark yet?”

It took everything Peter had not to just take out his acceptance package and throw it at Flash’s face. He was trying to be strong, but he could tell Ned wasn’t having it. He just hoped Ned wouldn’t spill the beans. Not yet.

Peter made sure he went through his call log so that he could add the unknown number to Tony Stark’s new entry in his contacts. He typed out Tony, and then he backspaced. He tried Mr. Stark, but it seemed too formal for a contact. Maybe Tony Stark. It was courteous to have his full name, but it implied they were on a first name basis. Peter could work with that.

No sooner had he finished updating the information when his phone displayed a text message. Coincidences like that didn’t just happen. Maybe it was magic. Peter had to remind himself how to breathe. A text message from Tony Stark? How lucky could one 17-year-old possibly be?

**Tony Stark:** Did you get the package?

 **Tony Stark:** It’s Tony Stark by the way. Not to be confused with Trash Thompson.

Peter giggled at the text. He got a kick out of Tony making fun of Flash and making light of how he’d thought Flash had been the one on the phone. It was nice that the man cared about his situation enough to mention it again. Peter wondered if Tony had ever been teased. He doubted it.

 **Peter:** Got it this morning. Thank you. :)

 **Peter:** Also I know it’s you. Took me a second, but I figured it out…

 **Tony Stark:** Quick learner. Good.

 **Peter:** I added your new info. Let me know if I got it right. Pony Park.

After he sent it, he rolled his eyes at the lame joke. Totally unbelievable, too. As if Peter could ever or would ever mess up Tony’s name or identity again. Peter held his breath while he waited for Tony to text back. He wanted to joke around with the man, but he wasn't sure how familiar they were supposed to be with each other. Tony seemed like he had a good sense of humour, but Peter didn't want to assume. If Tony didn't respond well, Peter would tone it down. If Tony dug his jokes, then he would proceed.

 **Tony Stark:** Yep, looks about right.

 **Peter:** Excellent! :)

 **Tony Stark:** Trash giving you anymore trouble? Did you end up telling him about your personal victory grace a moi?

 **Peter:** I just told my best friend and my aunt.

Peter deliberated before sending his next text. Was it too casual? Inappropriate? Forward? Tony had set the humorous tone of the conversation when he’d told a joke. Maybe it was okay.

 **Peter:** Flash is still being a d-bag about it, but idk. Is it weird that I want to keep it a secret? Feels more special that way.

 **Tony Stark:** I get it.

 **Tony Stark:** He'll find out soon enough. It’s a pretty big deal to be the recipient of such a prestigious award. It'll make quite the splash

 **Peter:** Can't wait to see the look on his face. Hope we're not too...brash

Peter cringed at his lame joke. The second one of the conversation. He texted again, so that Tony wouldn’t have to reply to it.

 **Peter:** I gotta go to class. Lunch is over.

 **Peter:** It was nice talking to you again Mr. Stark. Have a good day. :)

 **Tony Stark:** You too, kid. x

Peter’s stomach flipped. Whoa. He tried to remain calm, but all systems were go. _This is not a drill._

“Ned.” Peter smacked his friend on the arm. “Ned!”

“What’s going on?” Ned pulled his headphone out.

“Look at this!” Peter practically threw his phone at Ned.

Ned furrowed his brows, looking at Peter’s phone for a moment before realizing what he was actually seeing. “Holy mother of Jesus. Peter,” Ned breathed.

“I know,” Peter agreed. “Can you believe this?”

“Peter, you have to let him throw you an assembly or something. A freaking luncheon. _Something._ Stick it to Flash and everybody. The whole school. Anyone who’s ever doubted you.”

“I just can’t believe it,” Peter said wistfully. “I’ve had the hugest crush on him since like the ninth grade. Now he’s texting me. Look. X? Freaking X, Ned. Do you know what this means?”

“Could be a typo,” Ned mused. “Wouldn’t he put an O with it if he meant it in a flirty way?”

Peter frowned. Maybe it was a typo. Oh. How disappointing.

“Wait.” Ned’s eyes widened as he scrolled up further. “I think it was definitely a flirty way. You guys are practically sexting with all these jokes, and he asked you questions. As in he cares about how you are.”

Peter was hanging on to every word. Could it be?

“Do you think he like, likes you or something?” Ned wondered.

Peter’s cheeks heated. “No no no, it’s not like that. He’s just super friendly. Like unbelievably nice. Such a cool guy. Yeah. No. No flirting. Could you even imagine? That would be…crazy.”

Ned shook his head. “I don’t know, dude. I think Tony Stark might be a little obsessed. Especially ‘cause he texted first.”

Flash popped up like the annoying whack-a-mole he was. “You guys talking about Tony Stark? Why, you got a crush, Peterkins?”

“No,” Peter denied. “We were just talking about the scholarship.”

Flash scoffed. “Give it up.”

Peter thought he’d gotten rid of him, but then Flash’s eyes zeroed in on the phone in Ned’s hands. “Whatcha looking at there?”

“Nothing,” Ned blurted. He panicked and slid the phone back to Peter.

Flash intercepted it.

Peter glared, trying to get back his phone before Flash went any further.

“Holy shit!” Flash shouted gleefully as he read the message thread. “What is this? Some sort of roleplay?”

“Oh my God, you guys were making fun of me?” Flash pouted. “How cute.”

Ned grimaced. “Dude, you’re an idiot. Those texts are real. Tony messaged him about the scholarship. Peter got accepted.”

Peter wanted to leave the school and never come back. This was just making everything worse. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to keep the secret. Flash would just find a way to twist the truth around on him to make him look like the idiot. No matter what. He was going to have to remember never to tell Ned anything ever again.

“You’re not fucking serious, are you?” Flash raised his eyebrows sarcastically. “Wow. So Ned, Peter’s got you saved as Tony Stark in his phone so that you guys can pretend you’re messaging each other? Wow. That’s…that’s new.”

“Just give me my phone back,” Peter demanded. He was slightly relieved that Flash didn’t seem to believe what Ned had revealed.

“No, I want to see,” Flash argued. “If I press dial, and Tony Stark is on the other end of this phone call. I will literally give you a thousand bucks.”

Peter shook his head. Even if Tony answered, there was no way he would be able to prove it was him since Flash was dead set on his views. Tony probably wouldn’t answer, though; he was a company owner. A busy guy. He didn’t have time for these teenage games. Peter prayed that Tony wouldn’t pick up. The last thing he wanted was for Tony to see him as some lame high-schooler getting into tiffs in the cafeteria. How juvenile.

Peter felt sick while he watched Flash dial Tony.

“It’s ringing,” Flash grinned.

Peter bit his nails.

Flash rolled his eyes. “Nobody’s picking up. I wonder why that could be. Ned, show me your phone.”

Ned held his phone up triumphantly to show that no call was coming in.

Flash frowned. “Finally. The answering machine…”

Peter had no idea what greeting Flash would get on the answering machine. He didn’t know if Tony explicitly said, “You’ve reached Tony Stark”, or if it was just some automated system. By the thwarted look on Flash’s face, it was an automated system. That meant neither of them had proof that it was or wasn’t Tony Stark.

“Yeah, hi? This is Flash Thompson”—Flash winked at Peter— “Apparently I’m calling Tony Stark’s phone?”

“Flash, just stop it,” Peter pleaded, reaching for the phone again. “Give it back!”

“Mr. Stark, I am so sorry to have to be the one to tell you that Peter Parker has been pretending he knows you.” Flash looked at Peter smugly. “He’s embarrassing. I know, but this is all fake, so, when you go to listen to this message later, Parker, remember you’re still a loser! The day you have Stark’s number is the day I stop being attractive.”

Peter couldn’t keep from saying, “You’d have to be attractive in the first place to be able to stop.” He smirked when Flash’s mouth turned down. Flash could dish it out, but he couldn’t take it.

Ned laughed.

Flash hung up the phone and reluctantly handed it back to Peter. “Whatever. Parker.”

Peter was still fuming despite the small victory of insulting Flash. Teasing was one thing, but taking his personal property was crossing the line. “I don’t care what you think you know, Flash,” Peter began, “but that doesn’t mean you can take my stuff.”

Flash shrugged. “Why don’t you get your pal Tony to come in and stop me? Since you’re so tight.”

Peter crossed his arms. It was so fucking tempting. If he wasn’t scared of annoying Tony, he might’ve asked for the favour.

As soon as Flash went away, Peter began a new message to Tony.

 **Peter:** Mr. Stark. I am SO sorry about that phone call. Please pretend it never happened. I really hope my scholarship isn’t in jeopardy or anything. If you can, just delete the voicemail from my number before you even listen to it. I would owe you forever.

 **Peter:** Sorry again.

* * *

“Sir, you have a voicemail from Peter Parker. Would you like me to play it?” Jarvis asked serenely.

Tony’s face lit up. “Jarvis, is it Christmas?”

“Is that hyperbole, or should I be concerned that you are losing memory function?” Jarvis teased.

“Hold that thought, J. Play it for me when I get to the workshop.” He wanted to be alone when he listened to the message. His mind raced with ideas of what Peter could want. Another thanks? Just a casual call? Maybe it was a fumbling effort to ask what Tony had meant by the X. Tony grinned at the thought of Peter getting excited about it. Tony meant what he said, and he said what he meant.

Kisses all the way. Of course the singular letter allowed him plausible deniability if Peter wasn’t into it. _It was only a typo. I didn’t mean to flirt with him._

Tony sat back in his desk chair to listen to the message. The pleasant anticipation he had was crushed when it started to play. Absolutely not what he’d expected at all. At first, when he heard Flash’s voice, he thought it meant Peter had told him to call. Was Peter trying to flaunt him to prove something? Tony would’ve been a little annoyed at that, but he wouldn’t have blamed the kid. He didn’t believe that for a second, though. Peter had insisted that he had nothing to prove to anyone. Peter felt like keeping their little thing—whatever it was—a secret. It was special.

It became clear immediately that Flash hadn’t been asked to call him. Tony wanted to hurt something when he heard Peter’s panicked, _“Give it back!”_

Tony wanted to bankrupt Flash’s entire family when he heard him call Peter a loser.

He was up and out of his chair in seconds.

“Archive message,” Tony commanded.

“As you wish,” Jarvis answered, no longer in a teasing mood. “I have two text messages from Mr. Parker.”

“Read them.” Tony waved.

Tony sighed after Jarvis relayed Peter’s texts about deleting the voicemail. It was a little late for that. Either way, he would’ve listened to it; he would have been far too curious about what sweet Peter Parker could have left in his inbox to delete it before listening to it.

“What time’s lunch at Midtown?” he asked Jarvis.

“Peter’s block starts at 12 and finishes at 1.”

“All right.” Tony nodded. “Remind me at 11 tomorrow.”

“Oh, and get some music going,” Tony added. Time to tinker.

Jarvis responded by starting his favourite playlist.


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Tony go to lunch.

Peter wasn’t sure whether it would be better to get a response to his apologies or not. Maybe Tony would message him to say it was no problem, but maybe Tony would message him to say the phone call and subsequent texts had been inappropriate. Maybe Tony would regret having given him access to his phone number in the first place.

Not receiving any message would be okay, but wouldn’t it mean that Tony didn’t really give a shit? Really, he hadn’t even answered in the first place. Peter knew it was silly to worry, but what if Tony had purposely not answered the call from his number? He was probably busy, but Peter couldn’t be too sure. _Fuck. This absolutely sucks. Flash ruins everything._

Peter was miserable by the time he got home after school. It had been hours since lunch, and Mr. Stark still hadn’t answered. He was so embarrassed. The worst part was that he didn’t know if he should text again or just leave it. He scrolled through the conversation he’d had with Tony trying to detect a hint of anything, whether it be flirtation or politesse. As far as he could tell Tony was friendly and maybe a little flirty, but that was just his personality. Peter didn’t detect annoyance…

Tony had been perfectly nice when he’d met him in person. It wouldn’t make sense for Tony to be pissed at him. But Peter couldn’t be too sure; he barely knew Tony, after all.

He sighed, electing to stow his phone for once; he was tired of looking at it. For lack of anything better to do, Peter decided to clean his room. He cleared all of the empty pop cans and water bottles from his desk. He tossed the garbage and recycled all of his scrap paper. He organized his notebooks and tech, deciding to leave the countless pages of doodles for last. Maybe if he could find the page he suspected Tony of taking, it would shed some light on the situation:

If Peter couldn’t find the page, then Tony had kept it, and that could indicate he wouldn’t be mad about the voicemail, that he understood it wasn’t his fault. It could mean Tony found him endearing, not creepy.

If he found the page after all, he’d have to re-evaluate the entire situation yet again. Tony could have found the doodles weird and off-putting.

Peter wasn’t sure what to say when he finished cleaningand the page Tony had had in his hands was nowhere to be found. He couldn’t turn off his brain and quit obsessing.

* * *

Peter spent the entire morning on autopilot. He’d barely slept since he’d been checking his phone every few minutes to see if there was a message from Mr. Stark. There was nothing. All he could think about was how much of a loser he looked like in Tony’s eyes. All because of Flash. Peter couldn’t even bring himself to look forward to lunch, a time he usually enjoyed. It would be open season for Flash; undoubtedly, he’d find him for round two. Peter wished he’d just stayed home.

A minute before the lunch bell rang, Peter was thrown back into the present. “Peter Parker please report to the office. Peter Parker, come to the office.” Peter had never been called down on the PA before. Never.

“Oooooohhhhhh,” the class sang.

Peter glanced at Ned and shrugged before picking up his books and heading down.

Peter’s first reaction to seeing Tony Stark leaning against the wall just outside of the office was disbelief. That turned to panic, and then elation. He couldn’t help but grin at the man. Tony looked as sharp as ever. Today, his sunglasses were tinted red, and he had two symmetrical points in his beard right on the jawline that hadn’t been there before. A new design.

Tony sauntered toward Peter to meet him halfway. “Hey, kid.”

“Mr. Stark.” Peter smiled, looking the man up and down. “What’re—What’re you—What’re you doing here?” he stammered. His lingering embarrassment from the phone call was affecting his brain-to-mouth flow, but he tried not to let that slow him down.

“Came to take you to lunch,” Tony said breezily. “Figured you could use a break from the ol’ cafeteria.”

“Y-yeah,” Peter agreed. “Yeah that would be…great.”

“Swell.”

“Can I just go put these away?” Peter held up his books.

Tony nodded. “Perfect. It’ll give me a chance to see your locker. You got one of those little mirrors in there?”

Peter laughed, “Yeah. I do.”

Peter’s stomach flipped when the bell rang. People were about to come out of their classes and see him. With Tony. Tony Stark was in his high school.

Peter tried to walk confidently which wasn’t hard to do when he was next to Tony. The man commanded the hallway. Even the students who didn’t notice who he was naturally gave him a wide berth. “Sorry about this, Mr. Stark. It’s a bit crowded.”

Tony shrugged. “I’ve had worse.”

Peter nodded, unlocking his locker and shoving his books in as quickly as possible. He wanted to get going before Flash could see him. He didn’t want the boy to ruin his moment. No matter how gratifying it would be to show off Tony to everyone, he wanted to be alone with the man. Proving himself to Flash was meaningless in comparison to having a nice moment with Mr. Stark.

“So—” Tony began.

“Hey! Parker, what’d you get in trouble for?” Flash called.

Peter glanced at the boy over Tony’s shoulder. He knew that Flash couldn’t see what he was interrupting since Tony had his back to the hallway.

“Did you finally get your letter? Did they address it to Peter, or did it say loser on it?”

Peter didn’t have time to do anything but frown when Tony whipped around to face Flash.

Flash looked like he might collapse.

Peter felt tingly and breathless when Tony crossed his arms. The man didn’t even say anything. He just stood there, legs planted. Peter was glad he couldn’t see the expression on Tony’s face because he bet it was withering.

“Tony Stark,” Flash managed. “Wow. It’s great to meet you.” The boy was dumb enough to hold out his hand for Tony to shake.

Tony didn’t even tilt his head a degree. He didn’t move his hand an inch.

“You know Peter Parker?” Flash asked, letting his hand fall to his side.

Tony nodded once. “You’re Clash, right? No, wait. Peter, help me out here. What’s his name?”

“Flash,” Peter supplied.

“Flash,” Tony repeated. “Right. _Eugene._ You’re the one who left me a message. On my private line.”

Peter closed his locker and moved to Tony’s side. He could see the man’s expression now. He looked from Tony to Flash in delight. Other people were starting to gather around the scene too.

More and more people were starting to realize that Tony Stark was in the hallway.

Flash nodded meekly.

“Next time you feel like reading private conversations and calling me, don’t,” Tony said calmly. “And don’t touch Peter’s stuff.”

Peter watched Flash turn a vibrant shade of red. He’d never seen Flash embarrassed over anything.

“So it’s true, Peter?” Flash asked. “You got the scholarship.”

“What do you think?” Tony asked Flash. He gestured to himself.

“I-I don’t know.” Flash shook his head. “I didn’t think Peter—”

Tony rolled his eyes. He put a hand on the small of Peter’s back and navigated them away from Flash before he could even finish his sentence.

Peter couldn’t contain his grin when Tony muttered “jackass” under his breath.

Tony walked them all the way through the halls and outside. Peter was silent as he followed Tony to the orange Audi parked right in the middle of the bus loading zone.

Peter whistled lowly. “Nice.”

Tony threw Peter a quick smile, stepping in front of the boy to open his door for him.

Peter settled right into the leather seat, waiting for Tony to get in on the driver’s side.

“What’re you hungry for?” Tony asked. He wasted no time starting the ignition and pulling away from the school.

“Uhh, hamburgers?” Peter suggested.

“Burger King or McDonald’s?” Tony asked.

“Burger King,” Peter decided.

“Good boy,” Tony laughed.

Peter had no idea if Tony was going to go into the restaurant, or if he would opt for the drive-thru. Maybe Tony would send him in to order? Peter wouldn’t have minded. He bet Mr. Stark got recognized all the time. It would’ve been annoying. He said as much to the man.

“Mr. Stark, do you want me to go in and order?”

“Why?” Tony furrowed his brows.

“Well, I don’t know. It’s just…isn’t it weird for you to be seen in a Burger King? Can you even take a car like this through a drive-thru? It seems like quite the juxtaposition.”

Tony raised his eyebrows. “I can see why you’d think that.”

Peter waited for more.

“But don’t worry about it. This isn’t my first rodeo.” Tony smiled. “Besides, I’m not gonna make you go fetch your lunch. That would be extremely rude.”

Peter laughed. “All right.”

Watching Tony order into the speaker-box was a gift.

“Hi there,” he said cheerily.

“What can I get for you?”

“Yeah, let me get two Whopper combos,” Tony said into the box. He turned to mouth, “Everything on them?” to Peter.

Peter nodded.

“Go ahead and throw everything on them. Extra pickles, too,” Tony added. “What the hell, cheese and bacon.”

“What to drink?”

“Cokes, please,” Tony answered. “Oh, and can you throw in a kid’s meal? I don’t care which. I just want the crown.”

“Drive up.”

Tony grinned over at Peter.

Peter couldn’t help but sympathize with the woman at the window. She’d done the classic double-take and became obviously nervous while she got the rest of the order ready. She was practically shaking while she took the money.

Peter knew firsthand what it was like to be surprised by Tony Stark. It wasn’t an understatement to call it life-changing.

The crown was the first thing to come through the window. Tony was all smiles when he put it on Peter’s head.

“Seriously, Mr. Stark?” Peter laughed. He liked the crown and the attention, but wouldn’t that just reinforce how much of a kid he was? He didn’t want Mr. Stark to see him like that.

“Oh come on. It’s cute and the best I can do until you actually get your prize.”

Peter didn’t object again.

“Are you sure we can eat in the car?” Peter wondered. “It might be messy.”

Tony shrugged. “We’ll drive back to the school. Eat in the parking lot. It’ll be fine.”

“So,” Peter began when Tony parked in the school lot. “I guess you got Flash’s message, then?”

Tony glanced at him like he was surprised he’d mentioned it. “Yeah, I got it,” he said quietly. “I was in the middle of a meeting, so I didn’t answer the call, but I listened to the message before I got your texts telling me not to.”

Peter nodded. “We kind of have bad luck when it comes to phone calls.”

Tony smirked before his face became more serious. “About your texts…I, uh, I didn’t answer ‘cause I didn’t know what to say.”

Peter raised his eyebrows. That must’ve been a first. Tony Stark not knowing how to handle something? Not knowing what to say? He had a hard time believing that since Tony always had an answer for everything in interviews. Peter was also surprised Tony was even giving him an explanation about it at all; he had been left on read before, and it wasn’t like it was common to demand an explanation from the culprits.

Peter was glad that Tony was being open, though. The last thing he wanted to do was complain.

“It’s okay.” Peter shrugged.

“I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone,” Tony explained. “Come here in person to talk and finally shut that douchebag up. Make it up to you.”

“Oh, Mr. Stark.” Peter put a hand to his chest. “I’ve been dealing with him for years. You don’t have to make anything up to me, honestly. I’m just a kid…a nobody. You giving me the scholarship is more than enough. You don’t have to do all this extra stuff.”

“Maybe not,” Tony admitted. “Call me a sap, but I want to help.”

Peter didn’t ask Tony why, but the man answered his unspoken question anyway.

“There’s something about you I just can’t shake.”

“I know the feeling.”

“Do you want me to walk you back in?” Tony asked after a moment. “Reinforce to the twerps that you roll with me?”

Peter grinned. “That would be awesome, but it’s okay. I faced them on my own this long. Plus I know you’re busy.”

Tony shrugged. “All right, well… if they keep it at, let me know. Maybe I can help you with some comebacks, or something.”

“That would be more than awesome.”

“Oh, and kid?"

"Yeah?"

"You’re not a nobody.”

Peter ducked his head, opening the door and stepping out of the car. He took off his Burger King crown and left in the passenger seat.

“That’s yours,” Tony protested.

“Thanks, Mr. Stark, but you keep it. It’s kind of, um, it would be awkward to explain. You know? I don’t know.” Peter wanted to keep it but bringing it into the school for everyone to see was like asking to be made fun of, or at least to be asked questions.

“Ah,” Tony said. “Right.”

Peter smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’ll hold onto it, then.” Tony winked. “Safekeeping.”

* * *

Peter got to his locker right when the first bell was ringing. Ned was already there. “Dude,” Ned breathed. “Just wow. Peter. Inject the details directly into my veins. I need them.”

Peter grinned. “Come to my place after school. I’ll tell you everything.”

Ned nodded. “I’ll be there.”

* * *

When Peter got to Spanish class, he checked his phone. He was surprised to see a message from Tony so soon after they’d seen each other.

**Tony Stark** : In retrospect, taking you to BK for our first hurrah was kind of lame.

 **Tony Stark:** Maybe we can do dinner this Saturday? Somewhere nicer.

 **Tony Stark:** Let me know.

Peter’s heart couldn’t decide whether to beat faster or stop altogether. He pored over the three short texts. Tony talking about retrospect meant that he was thinking about their lunch. Not just casually. Critically. _First_ hurrah? As in that wasn’t just a one-time thing? An invite to frickin’ dinner? Peter wasn’t stupid; he knew what dinner dates meant. He’d seen the movie Just Friends. Wow. Then again, it was Tony Stark. Going to dinner to him was like a casual wave to someone else. The rules were different with Stark. Rich people rules.

Peter had no idea what to text back. Something casual? Should he reject the proposal? He was 50/50 on whether Tony was coming onto him or just being friendly. Maybe it was just a mentor thing? Or maybe, and this seemed like the most plausible explanation, it was dinner to celebrate his winning the scholarship. That could just be something Tony did with everyone who won…No ulterior motives or meaning.

Peter wasn’t sure how to play it, so he decided to just say what he wanted. He decided to be honest.

**Peter:** I’d love to go to dinner on Saturday. But BK was perfectly fine with me as far as first hurrahs go.

 **Peter:** Don’t beat yourself up about it. ;)

* * *

Tony smirked after Jarvis got done reading his texts to him. Tony glanced to his passenger seat where Peter’s crown was still sitting.

“I do believe Mr. Parker is flirting with me,” Tony commented.

“The use of the winking face emoji does support that conclusion,” Jarvis said lightly.


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter tries to get himself together before dinner with Mr. Stark.

Peter felt disconcerted when Tony didn’t answer his text. Was the wink too much? Had his joke made it seem like he was ungrateful for his opportunity? Peter was terrified that he might’ve misinterpreted the entire thing. Maybe Mr. Stark would want to cancel if he’d made him uncomfortable.

Peter decided to test the waters on Friday night. He tried to play it cool, but all he could think about was how it had been two weeks since Tony had been in his apartment. A week since the visit at the school and their fast-food lunch. He reassured himself that everything was probably fine, and if not, it might not mean anything terrible. Maybe Mr. Stark had simply forgotten, or he was busy. No reason to get all anxious over nothing. Easier said than done...

**Peter:** Hey Mr. Stark. Are we still on for tomorrow?

 **Peter:** I’m not sure what to wear if we’re going somewhere fancier. Should I get suit? :)

His heart calmed down when Tony responded affirmatively.

 **Tony Stark:** Definitely still on.

 **Tony Stark:** A suit should do it. If you’re not sure, send me some pictures of your options. I’ll choose one for you.

“Holy shit!” Peter exclaimed. Tony was asking for pictures now?

He raced to his closet. He had like two pairs of dress pants. Two and a half button-ups if he counted the plaid one has a nice one. He cringed. One pair of Tony’s glasses probably cost the same as his entire wardrobe. The suit he’d worn to his grade 8 graduation was way too small. The only other suit he had was from a funeral, and he didn’t feel like wearing that one.

 **Peter:** Okay, I’m officially embarrassed. This is all I got.

Peter sent Tony a mirror selfie. Charcoal grey pants with a white button-up shirt. A thin, black tie. He made sure the angle cut out his face. He knew he looked dopey and not suave. Oh well.

Peter sent another text before Tony could reply:

 **Peter:** This is really all I have… Maybe I’ll hit up the thrift store tomorrow morning. I bet they’ll have something.

 **Tony Stark:** That looks great, kid.

Peter smiled at the compliment. He took off the outfit and carefully hung it back up. It would need to be wrinkle-free to compensate for how simple it was.

Peter read the texts over again. Was it really as big of a deal as he was making it out to be? Tony kept calling him kid. That didn’t really do anything for his ego. Maybe he was just a kid to Mr. Stark. Not a romantic option. He would just have to wait and see, and in the meantime not freak the fuck out.

* * *

Tony was still smirking at the picture Peter had sent him. He’d saved it to his phone for later viewing. He hadn’t been lying; the outfit did, indeed, look great. It just wasn’t good enough for Peter. Anyone else would’ve looked like a shlump, but Peter made the simple pants and shirt look like a runway piece. He knew Peter was small, but he’d only ever seen him in baggy pyjamas and the classic sweatshirt and jeans every high school student wore. He hadn’t realized that Peter was muscular under all that extra material. The white shirt had been very trim and had done nothing to conceal the fine curvature of Peter’s biceps and chest. Tony could only imagine the abs Peter was probably packing. Goodness.

Tony wasn’t going to be able to go out with Peter practically naked in that white shirt. He’d need to get the boy a real suit.

* * *

Peter woke up on Saturday feeling like a Disney princess. He felt like the sun was warmer, and the birds chirping outside his window sounded more cheerful than usual. _Dinner with Tony._

“May!” Peter called, emerging from his room.

May frowned. “Peter. It’s 8:30. Why are you even vertical?”

“Because tonight’s the night. With Mr. Stark. Remember? He’s taking me to dinner. For the scholarship.”

May nodded skeptically. “Right.”

“I think he’s really interested in my project proposal. He probably wants to talk shop or something.” Peter grinned.

Peter relaxed when he saw his aunt’s features lighten.

“So, where’re you going? Some place fancy?”

“I think so,” Peter squeaked. “I’m sort of supposed to wear a suit, but you know the deal with that. I don’t have one, and Mr. Stark said that my dress pants and shirt were fine, but I think he was just being nice.”

“Is this your way of asking me to take you to the thrift store?” May raised her eyebrows.

“Quizás, mi tía.” Peter waggled his eyebrows.

“Okay.” May smiled. “Give me a half hour.”

* * *

Peter was discouraged by the time he and May had visited the third thrift store. The haul hadn’t been completely fruitless; he’d scored a wicked set of cuff links, a shiny black button-up shirt, and a few pieces of old tech that would be useful when he upgraded his computer again. The coolest thing he’d found was probably a pair of yellow tinted sunglasses. They reminded of him of Mr. Stark, so he bought them. The whole trip had cost less than $20, so he wasn’t complaining—it was just that the entire purpose was to find a suit. Every suit he tried on was too big or too out of style, or wool. Itchy.

“Peter, I wouldn’t worry about it,” May offered. “Tony Stark knows where you come from. He’s toured our apartment, for god sakes. Wearing a regular shirt and pants in front of him isn’t going to be the end of the world. It’s not like he’s going to revoke your scholarship just because you don’t have a five-thousand-dollar suit.”

“Yeah, I know,” Peter mumbled. “I just want to impress him, though.”

May’s expression was sympathetic. “I understand, but it sounds like you already impressed him. Otherwise why would he have chosen you out of everybody?”

“My application impressed him,” Peter said. “My project proposal.”

“You want to impress him as a person,” May realized.

Peter nodded, meeting his aunt’s eyes before looking away before she could see everything he was thinking.

“Peter, do you like him?” May asked.

“Of course, he’s a great inventor. He—”

May looked at him pointedly. “You know what I mean.”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Sweetheart, you know that’s inappropriate, right?”

“I don’t think so.” Peter shrugged. “I know he’s older, and stuff, but, yeah. I don’t know, May. I’m way out of his league, anyway. Doesn’t matter how I feel about him.”

“You know, I’m tempted to keep you home from the dinner.”

“What? No no no. Please don’t do that,” Peter pleaded.

“Even if he wasn’t my age,” May began, “he’s giving you tens of thousands of dollars. I mean, after a while, you’d have to wonder if he expects you to do this?”

“What?” Peter asked, “Of course he doesn’t. It’s just one celebratory dinner. For the scholarship.”

“I doubt he even wants to do it,” Peter continued. “It’s a formality.”

“Is the texting a formality?” May challenged.

“It’s not even like that. Really. He’s just super nice. I think he feels bad for me, you know? He just wants to help… You’ve seen his interviews…You know he’s flirty or whatever. It’s just his personality.”

May furrowed her brows. “I just worry about you. I don’t want you to get sucked into some lifestyle that isn’t you. Or have you start thinking that you’re not good enough. That you have to keep up with Tony Stark. The most important thing about all of this is you. Don’t feel like you have to go along with what he says just because his company is giving you a scholarship. You earned that yourself, Peter. Before you even knew him. None of what you’re worth is based off him, okay?”

Peter ducked his head. “I know. I just, God. May, I really do like him. He’s so much fun, and he’s so sweet. You know? I didn’t think this would ever happen.”

May put her arm around Peter. “I’m not going to stop you from going to this dinner, Peter. You’ve earned it, but the texting seems over the line. I want you to be prepared to accept that he could return your feelings.”

Peter didn’t know what to say. He loved the idea that Tony could reciprocate, but he doubted it would ever be more than an idea. Then again, the scholarship had been an idea once upon a time, and he had that now. Maybe anything was possible.

“Do you think it’s wrong?” Peter wondered, his voice small. “That he’s older?”

“Yes and no, babe,” May sighed. “I just want you to be happy. Keep you safe. He has a reputation...”

“I think Mr. Stark wants that too,” Peter admitted. "He's just misunderstood."

May shrugged. “Maybe you should just get through tonight. See how it goes. Then we can go from there. How old is he, anyway?”

“He’s turning 48,” Peter mumbled with a sheepish grin.

“Ahhh.” May shook her head. “Okay. Yeah, that’s… Yeah. Let’s keep looking for a suit, and I’m going to think about this. This goes way beyond a five-minute conversation.”

Peter was glad May was being so cool about it. He had looked it up. 17 was just old enough. Peter felt guilty and awkward even thinking in those terms, because like he’d told May—he didn’t even know if it was like that with Mr. Stark. He just wanted to be prepared for any outcome. All he could say for himself was that if Tony was down, so was he. If not, he’d leave it alone. Keep it professional.

* * *

They got back to the apartment at 3. Peter would have a few hours to get ready, and May would have a few hours to think about how she was going to handle things if it turned out that the dinner was about more than celebrating Peter’s scholarship. 

Peter had ended up finding two suits. One was burgundy, and slightly out of his comfort zone, but when May teared up at the sight of him, he knew he had to get it. The other one was a plain black number with silk lapels. It came with a waistcoat too. Maybe getting two suits was ambitious of him since he didn’t know if there were going to be any second or third hurrahs—as Tony liked to call them. It would be nice to be prepared, though. Tony seemed to like him enough even after two encounters.

Maybe he wasn’t silly to think this could turn into something more. He prayed it would.

Peter was getting antsy within an hour of being home. He wanted it to be 7 now, so he could be with Tony again.

 **Peter:** Heyyy. What’s up?

_God, you idiot. You don’t talk to Tony Stark like that. What are you thinking?_

**Tony Stark:** Hey, kid. Hanging around the shop.

 **Tony Stark:** What’s with you? Texting to cancel?

 **Peter:** No. Of course not. Actually wanted to confirm again lol. We’re still on?

 **Tony Stark:** As long as nothing life threatening happens between now and 7.

 **Tony Stark:** Also there should be a package arriving for you any minute now.

Peter jumped off his bed and ran to the door. He whipped it open just as a disgruntled man raised his hand to knock.

“Hey, I know you! You were here with Mr. Stark,” Peter commented. He surreptitiously eyed the box in the man’s hands. A gift from Mr. Stark.

“Wow, nothing gets by you,” the guy said. “Here.” He shoved the box at him and walked away.

“Thank you!” Peter called. “Mr. Stark’s bodyguard.”

The guy waved over his shoulder without turning to look back at Peter.

May got off the couch to investigate. “Tony sent you something?”

“Yeah,” Peter said gleefully. He walked over to the kitchen table to put the box down.

The box was adorned with a simple white card.

_This will suit you._

_-TS_

“Oh my God,” Peter gasped. He opened the box to reveal a neatly folded suit jacket. Double-breasted, a classy silver, not too over-the-top. Tony had included matching pants and three shirts. A black, white, and a mint green—just in case he was feeling adventurous.

“Wow, that is gorgeous,” Aunt May gushed. “You’ll look so handsome.”

Peter just gave her a stupid grin.

She sighed, “I guess we have our answer about what this is.” May put her hand on Peter’s head, smoothing out his hair.

Peter looked at her in confusion.

“You don’t send someone an outfit for dinner unless it’s special,” May explained.

“Yeah, but it’s a rich people thing.” Peter shrugged. “It happens in movies all the time. He probably just didn’t want to be seen with someone who wears secondhand.”

May raised her eyebrows. “Peter. Seriously?”

Peter looked away. Great. Was this the part where he was forbidden to see Tony now?

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” May admitted with a sigh. “Do I let you go out with someone thirty years older than you? What kind of person does that make me?”

Peter frowned. “It’s just a dinner. He’s like, my mentor, or something. I don’t think it _means_ anything.”

May didn’t answer that. She obviously didn’t agree. “But if I don’t let you go…is that any better? Keeping you from someone you like?”

“I don’t know what to say,” Peter muttered. “I like him so much, and if he liked me back...I don’t even know what I’d do, but I definitely don’t think I would be able to say no, but I don’t want to disappoint you either.”

“I know, sweetheart,” May sighed.

“He’s not a bad guy. At all,” Peter said. “It seems like it should be bad because I’m young, I guess. But I don’t feel like that with him. He treats me like I’m a person. Not a child or just some dumb teenager charity case.”

“You’ve only really met him twice,” May said delicately. “How do you know?”

“Because I thought more about what we talked about,” Peter responded. “How he could choose anyone.”

“Right.”

“He said he doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to… If he could have anyone, and he wants to spend time with me. I don’t know, that just feels like I might be important. You know?”

May looked at Peter fondly. “Well he’d be stupid to not think you were special. You’re perfect.”

“That’s what he said,” Peter nodded.

May sighed.

“But like I said, this is just a formality,” Peter insisted. “I don’t think you need to worry about it.”

“And if it’s not, and he’s treating this like a date, or something?”

Peter raised his eyebrows. “That would be the best thing to ever happen to me. Even better than the money.”

“You really think he’s a good guy? He’s not going play you?”

“Maybe he should be worried that I’ll play him.” Peter shrugged. “It goes both ways.”

“Okay.” May nodded. “I can accept that. But if he forces you to do anything. I mean anything. Asks you something you don’t like. Tries anything. You call me, and I’ll pick you up. No exceptions.”

“I promise.”

Peter knew that it wouldn’t come to that, but he was just happy that May was giving him a chance. He understood that it couldn’t have been easy for her.

“Everything in me is telling me to keep you home,” May laughed. “You’re growing up too fast.”

“It’s okay,” Peter assured. “You’re not going to lose me.”

“Damn right,” May agreed.

Peter went to retrieve his phone as soon as the glassy look in May’s eyes disappeared. He let himself get excited about the suit.

 **Peter:** I just got it. Wow, Mr. Stark. The suit is amazing.

 **Peter:** Thank you so much.

 **Tony Stark:** I’m glad you like it. Didn’t want you to worry about the outfit.

 **Peter:** It’s perfect. I actually ended up going to the store earlier to get some suits, but those are nothing compared to this. I picked up some cuff links that’ll go with your gift.

 **Tony Stark:** Don’t feel obligated. You can wear mine next time.

Peter looked up at the ceiling with glee. Tony was so perfect. They hadn’t even had the dinner yet, and he was already thinking about the next one. May would be happy to know that Tony wasn’t forcing him into wearing designer clothes; he was giving him options and letting him choose.

 **Peter:** I’m excited. I’ve never been out to dinner with anyone before.

 **Peter:** Besides my friend Ned and my aunt.

Peter blushed at his admission. Was that lame and pathetic to say? Too much?

 **Tony Stark:** How cute, Mr. Parker. I’ll be your first.

Whoa. It was easy to forget that he was dealing with a playboy. Normal people didn’t just say things like that. How was Peter supposed to keep up with such a shark?

* * *

Tony didn’t bother wondering if sending the suit was too much; Peter could wear it or not. Tony didn’t care what he wore, really. He was just happy to be able to spend some time with the kid. It was refreshing to be around someone so energetic and easygoing. Everyone else in his life was all business all the time. Everyone wanted to know what he was working on or how he was going to revolutionize the technology industry—again.

Tony enjoyed being able to have a conversation with Peter that didn’t revolve around stock numbers or marketing points. Peter was just himself. If Tony was being really honest, it was nice being around someone who was still awed by the luxury. It was fun to be able to impress Peter. Spoil him. He wanted to do it even more. The suit had been a raindrop in an ocean.

Tony did bother wondering if that “I’ll be your first” comment was too forward. He hadn’t really meant it like that, well, maybe he did... It was one of those opportunities to be flirtatious that he just took whether it was appropriate or not. Tony could’ve said any number of things. _I’m excited too. It’ll be fun. Glad you liked the suit._ Tony didn’t feel guilty about being suggestive—that ship had sailed in 1985. It was more like he didn’t want Peter to think it had to be like that. As far as Tony was concerned, the dinner was a celebration, but there was no reason why it couldn’t mean something else too, something more.

He wasn’t stupid, and he knew the kid was sporting a huge crush. Even if he hadn’t seen the proof on his page of doodles, Tony could still tell. The blushing, the wide eyes, the hesitant flirting, and the stammering. Although that just seemed like a Peter thing. Tony knew it wouldn’t take much to lead Peter where he wanted, but he also remembered what it was like to be a teenager. There was a big difference between flirting, crushes, fantasizing, and actually going toe to toe with the richest and most powerful man in America. Tony knew what power imbalance was, and everything about what he was doing with Peter screamed it, but who was he to deny Peter Parker when it seemed like they had common interests.

Still, Tony wasn’t interested in rushing things or taking advantage, so he set a condition for himself; he’d keep it light until Peter made a move or gave him a more explicit signal. Then he could be sure of his course and Peter’s, and with all the necessary information, he could make the right choice at the right time.


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter go to dinner.

When Peter put on the suit, he was amazed at how accurate Tony had been in guessing his measurements. The suit fit like a glove, and the cufflinks he’d purchased—red, enamel ovals with silver spiderwebs overlain—looked like a dream with the metallic colour of the suit. The outfit was exquisite.

He finished the look with his black dress shoes and slicked back hair, and when he went to the living room to show May, she was practically in tears.

“This is just like in Titanic when Jack Dawson goes to meet Rose,” she cried. “Oh, let me get a picture.”

“I appreciate the reference,” Peter said, “but it’s not even a date, remember? It’s just a friendly thing”—Peter pointed a finger at her— “and besides, Jack dies at the end, so not sure I like that.”

“Oh hush.” May waved him off.

Peter rolled his eyes but went to pose in front of the apartment door dutifully. He definitely wanted to remember this.

“If you don’t trust my instincts,” May said. “I can ask him when he comes up. If you want. We’ll get it all sorted out.”

“No! No, no, no, don’t do that,” Peter pleaded. His heart was already beating fast enough, and the threat of humiliation at the hands of his own aunt wasn’t helping matters.

May laughed.

“Wait.” Peter looked up at May. “You actually think he’s coming up here? Don’t I just meet him downstairs?”

May looked disgusted. “If he’s a gentleman, he’ll get his ass up here and meet me properly.”

Peter raised his eyebrows. Damn, okay. Apparently May didn’t mess around. He had a feeling that Tony would make the trip up.

When Tony buzzed the apartment from downstairs, Peter felt faint.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked May. “You know, thirty years is kind of a lot now that I think about it. I mean, if you wanted me to stay home, an argument could be made.”

“Don’t tempt me,” she giggled. “Now that I’m invested in this, I need to see how it pans out.”

“Oh God.” Peter gulped. “He’s coming up here.” _Okay, okay, okay. Be cool._

Peter flinched when he heard the knock at the door. Was the elevator usually this fast?

“Housekeeping,” Tony called through the door.

“Oh, he’s funny.” May smacked Peter on the arm. “Relax,” she soothed. “It’s not a date, remember? Scholarship. Science. Engineering. Boring,” she chanted.

“Yeah, cool. Okay.” Peter nodded, smoothing his suit over. “Not a date. Sure. Great.”

“Easy, tiger,” May added over her shoulder just before she opened the door.

“My my,” Tony said as he breezed into the room. “Who is this fine young lady?”

“That’s—That’s, my aunt. May,” Peter struggled.

“Of course you are.” Tony reached for her hand to kiss.

Peter looked away. No need for Tony to see the jealousy written all across his face.

“Mr. Parker,” Tony greeted.

Peter tried not to pout when his hand didn’t get kissed. He got a clap on the shoulder instead.

“Wow. Remind me to tip my tailor. The suit looks exceptional.”

Peter gave Tony a self-deprecating smile. “Yeah, thanks again.”

“Oh, those cufflinks,” Tony mused. He reached for Peter’s wrist to examine them more closely. “Lovely.”

Peter could tell that Tony meant it; his eyes got softer when he was being genuine. The flirty expression was different. This was a real compliment. Peter wished Tony would’ve kept holding his wrist.

He glanced at May who was already staring with comically wide eyes. She gave him a slight shake of the head and mouthed, “Good luck,” at him before Tony could see.

“All right, May.” Tony clapped his hands together. “Let me take your dapper nephew here off your hands for the night. Let’s say. 10? 10:30?”

“Ten will be fine.” May crossed her arms.

“Ten it is.” Tony grinned. “Ready, Pete? The restaurant’s a bit of a drive, and we’re on the clock.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Peter stumbled forward. “Let’s do it.”

Peter trailed after Tony out the door. “Bye, May!”

“Have fun, sweetheart,” she responded. She gave him a thumbs up before closing the door.

* * *

“You really do look great,” Tony said when they reached the elevator.

“Thanks, so do you. But, you kind of always wear a suit, so you always do,” Peter laughed.

_Oh shit. Was that rude to say?_

Tony grinned. “That’s what the glasses are for. They spice things up.”

“Oh! I got some glasses today.” Peter remembered. “They reminded me of you.” He slipped his hand into his pocket to retrieve the yellow tinged shades. They were aviators, and their frame was a unique tint that cast the frame as both silver and gold depending on the light.

Tony raised his eyebrows and snatched the pair from Peter’s hands. “Trade you.”

Peter couldn’t help but swoon when Tony put the glasses on. It was so pleasing to see Tony wear something that he’d selected specifically for him. It felt intimate. More importantly, Tony looked hot in them.

Peter looked down at the simple yet quirky shades Tony had placed in his hand. The pair had red lenses with a thick blue frame. They were Fendi.

“They’re a little tricky to see out of,” Tony laughed. “But they’re cool.”

Peter unfolded them carefully and slid them onto his face. “How do they look?”

Tony clicked his tongue. “Cute.”

Peter ducked his head. He could only imagine how much the glasses cost, and Tony had just given them to him no questions asked. The yellow ones were only worth two dollars.

Peter tried not to look at Tony too much as they rode the elevator down to the ground floor. He had to keep reminding himself that he had no solid proof that this was a date, but it was hard not to be aware that he had no proof it wasn’t a date, either. Still, he didn’t want to get over-excited and ruin everything since he’d gotten around to reading the fine print of the scholarship offer and knew he could lose it if he didn’t act appropriately.

As much as he wanted to be with Tony, he didn’t want to risk losing his tuition or the man’s respect, so he resolved to wait for Tony to make the first move. This way he could be sure and avoid embarrassing himself. It was all in Tony’s hands, and all he would have to do if and when the time came was tell Tony _yes._

“So where are we going?” Peter asked once they reached Tony’s car. This time it was a white R8 Spyder.

Tony opened the passenger door for him and gestured to the seat. “A restaurant.” Tony waggled his eyebrows.

“No way,” Peter joked. “I’ve always wanted to go to a restaurant.”

Tony shook his head and closed the door.

Peter watched Tony round the front of the car and wondered if he would actually answer the question.

Tony sat down in the driver’s seat and glanced at Peter for a moment before he said anything. “The restaurant is called _Per Se_.”

“Oh,” Peter said. “I haven’t heard of it per se, but I’m sure it’s nice.”

Tony laughed. “It is. You’ll like it.”

Peter nodded. He had no doubt.

“I know you like a cheap fast food meal as much as the next kid,” Tony added, “but, this time I figured I owed you a treat.”

“Cool. Sure. Yeah,” Peter fumbled. “I mean, I’m happy with anything, definitely. Totally.”

_Did you really need to answer a question with six separate answers?_

“Well all right, then.” Tony smiled. “Shall we?”

Peter sat quietly in the passenger seat while Tony whipped them around the city in his ridiculously fast sportscar. At this point he figured it was dangerous to open his mouth lest he start rambling again.

“Any music you want to listen to?” Tony asked after a few minutes of silence.

“Uhh, I can plug in my phone? If you have an aux cable?”

“No cords,” Tony replied. “Turn on your Bluetooth.”

Peter felt like he was missing some joke judging by the amused look on Tony’s face.

He swiped through his phone settings to turn it on.

Tony pressed a few buttons on his dashboard and gestured to Peter. “Hit it.”

Peter felt unreasonably nervous. It was just music, but it was so important to set the right mood. What if Mr. Stark thought what he picked was lame?

He scrolled through his music library until he got to one of his favourite artists. Choosing a specific song was difficult because he had his personal preferences but selecting the perfect song for cruising with Tony was crucial. He settled on The City by the 1975 since it seemed fitting.

Tony never let anything go without commenting, so he had to say something, “Not bad. British band?”

“Y-yeah.” Peter nodded, clutching his phone. “They’re from Manchester.”

“I can dig it.” Tony pressed a button on his steering wheel to increase the volume.

* * *

Peter was more than anxious by the time he and Tony arrived at the restaurant. This wasn’t like going to Burger King, or even a sit down like Chili’s. This was a fancy restaurant, like an actual gourmet, expensive as fuck, capital R restaurant. He suddenly felt exactly like Jack Dawson in the Titanic. What fork was he supposed to use? What about all the rich people he wouldn’t know? How was he supposed to act?

He didn’t want to voice his concerns out loud, though. Mr. Stark was already going out on a limb by bringing him here. It wouldn’t do for him to act ungrateful and nervous.

“You look handsome, kid.” Tony patted Peter on the back as they walked toward the doors of the restaurant. “Just stick by me if you’re nervous. Nobody will bother you.”

Peter decided that Tony really was an amazing guy. He bet that Tony hadn’t felt nervous a day in his life, so how come he was able to see it so clearly in someone else—someone he’d only known for a couple of weeks?

“Thanks, Mr. Stark. Uh, can you just,” Peter laughed awkwardly, “let me know if I do something wrong? Like if there’s etiquette or something I don’t know.”

“’Course, Pete. You’ll be great, though.”

They approached the hostess, and Peter barely caught the, “Good evening, Mr. Stark,” before they were being led to a cozy corner in the back of the restaurant.

Mr. Stark took the seat that faced the other diners, so Peter had his back to everyone.

“Are you sure you don’t want to face the other way?” Peter wondered after the hostess was out of earshot. “People will probably bother you if they recognize you.”

Tony smirked. “I want you to focus on the food, not everyone who walks in the door.”

“Besides, people know better than to disturb me, and if they don’t, they will.”

“Wow,” Peter breathed. “Okay. Sweet. I’ll face you…and the wall.” He was more than happy to have only Tony in his view.

“Then it’s settled.”

Peter nodded. He was dying to ask Tony more questions. Like what he should order. What he should say if any big nose came to check out what nobody was spending time with Tony Stark. He wondered if Tony was going to ask him any questions like why he lived with his aunt, or if he had any more developments on his project proposal. What would they talk about?

“I chose this place because they have a different menu every day,” Tony explained quietly. “It’s a tasting menu, so there’s tons of stuff. Takes the pressure off ordering one entrée and praying to every God that it’s not disgusting.”

Peter wondered if Tony had done that for his sake since he was so new to fine dining. He laughed nervously, “I’m really sorry—”

“Stop.” Tony shook his head. “Don’t apologize. Just relax. Try to enjoy.”

“Okay.”

“Also, it’s private,” Tony added. “They take themselves very seriously, so there’s no chance of our picture being taken.”

“That’s good.” Peter didn’t have anything more eloquent to say than that. Miraculously, his secret was still safe at school. Flash certainly wasn’t going to go around telling everyone about Peter’s success. That left the student body wondering why Tony had been there, but Peter never confirmed or denied the rumours, so nobody knew much of anything. Peter liked it that way, and evidently, Tony felt the same.

Tony nodded. “Once word gets out that you won, you’ll be connected to Stark Industries publicly. Anything you do could reflect back on the company, and people will be all up in your business. I want to shield you from that as much as possible.”

“Thank you,” Peter said earnestly. “Seriously.”

“You’ll eventually have to do some interviews and publicity, things like that, but not yet. For now, I want you to relax.”

Peter was beyond grateful for that kindness; Mr. Stark truly seemed to understand him.

“Anyway.” Tony gestured to the drink menus the hostess had supplied. “I’ve never ordered anything non-alcoholic here, so I can’t make any suggestions for you.”

“I’ll take anything. Some sort of gourmet, exotic juice? Or soda carbonated with pixie water from the Appalachian Springs?” Peter joked with another nervous laugh.

Tony almost choked.

Peter was glad to see the eye crinkling smile again.

“Can I keep you?” Tony asked.

Peter didn’t answer because it would’ve been awkward to say yes.

Tony ordered a gin and tonic that looked ridiculously fancy. Peter didn’t know a lot about alcohol, but he knew enough to know that gin and tonic had lime for a garnish. This drink had all sorts of fruits and vegetables stuck in it, and the ice was shaved.

Peter ended up getting an iced tea. Very boring, but that was fine by him.

Peter raised his eyebrows at Tony’s elaborate drink. “How much does something like that cost?” 

The drink menu hadn’t listed prices.

Tony furrowed his brows like the thought had never occurred to him. “If they’re worth their salt, thirty to fifty.”

Peter watched Tony watching him. The man seemed to be searching for discomfort. Peter didn't want Tony to think he felt out of sorts. Really, he didn't. Tony was rich, and he could spend his money on whatever he wanted. Peter wasn't going to get hung up on it. It was just new. Different.

“Maybe next time we should go somewhere where the drinking age is a little lower.” Peter blushed. “That way I could try one.”

Normally he might’ve been embarrassed at his obviousness. _Next time._ But Tony had said it first.

“Have a sip of mine,” Tony urged.

“Okay.” Peter licked his lips, reaching for the drink hesitantly. He sipped the clear, bubbly drink carefully, trying to dodge the garnishes. He stuck out his lips while he deliberated. “It’s sort of, bitter? A little tangy.”

Tony grinned. “How’s the iced tea, Mr. Adventurous?”

Peter slid his drink toward Tony.

“Sweet,” Tony assessed. “That’s fitting.”

Peter looked away.

“So how was this week at school?” Tony wondered.

Peter tilted his head back and forth. Usually when people asked him how school was, they just wanted to hear it was good or that he was learning a lot. He was comforted that when Tony asked, he wasn’t asking how good it was, but how bad it was. It was more real.

“You coming by really shut Flash up,” Peter admitted. He fiddled with his cufflink while he spoke. “But, I don’t think anything can stop him for more than a few days.”

“What’s he saying now?” Tony asked, his expression dark.

“It’s nothing major because he doesn’t want anyone to overhear, or they’d know I’d won. It’s okay, sir. I can handle it,” Peter assured.

“What’s he saying?” Tony repeated.

Peter sighed, “He’s acting like I didn’t earn the scholarship fairly. Like I did something to make you give it to me.” Peter blushed at the suggestion. Why was he being so loose-lipped and obvious tonight? Did the iced tea actually have some booze in it?

“That’s ridiculous, what would he—” Tony started. “Oh.”

“Yeah.” Peter shrugged. He was glad Tony understood what he meant without him having to say it explicitly.

“If you want me to take you home, I can do that,” Tony offered. “If this gives people the wrong idea…maybe it’s best not to.”

Peter frowned. So he had been reading it wrong. The first mention that there might be something more between them, and Tony was backtracking. So much for the X he had texted, and the flirting, and the suit. Peter figured he must be an idiot to ever think that Tony could’ve seen him in a romantic or even sexual light. It was only platonic.

“More like if this gives _me_ the wrong idea.” Peter mumbled.

“What was that?”

“Oh.” Peter feigned innocence. “Nothing.”

Tony raised his eyebrows, but he didn’t say anything.

When Tony got the bill, Peter eyed it nonchalantly. It wasn’t that he particularly cared how much it was; Tony was a billionaire—he could afford it. Peter wanted to know how much he was worth to Tony.

The bill was almost 600 dollars, and Peter tried his best not to let his face betray the shock. 600 dollars was a new laptop. Half of a beater car. A short vacation. Not a meal for two people.

“Everything all right?” Tony asked after he’d handed the waiter his credit card.

Peter nodded.

“The price doesn’t bother you?” Tony pressed.

“If I complained about you spending money on me, that would kind of go against the entire premise of our relationship,” Peter replied.

“You know, the scholarship,” he clarified after a moment. 

“Touché.” Tony held up the last of his drink and finished it.

Peter was upset, but still aware enough to know he was being a little rude. Tony didn’t need that kind of attitude from him. He couldn’t bring himself to make another joke or bring back their light-hearted banter, though. He was too disappointed.

“Thank you, Mr. Stark. I know you didn’t have to do that, or anything,” Peter said. “The food, the suit. All of it. I really appreciate it.”

Tony’s lips quirked into a small smile. “Don’t mention it.”

* * *

“Why are you all up in your own head?” Tony asked when they were back in the car. “You pissed about something?”

Peter realized he hadn’t spoken to Tony since the restaurant. He hadn’t restarted his music either.

“I’m sorry.” Peter shook his head.

Tony glanced at him. “You’re not usually this quiet. I want to know what’s wrong. Spill.”

Peter wanted to laugh. Tony still cared? “I’m just tired, I guess. I don’t usually stay up this late.” Lie. “I was kind of nervous, too, so it burned through a lot of my energy.”

Tony’s frown eased slightly at that explanation. “All right.” He accepted after a moment. “We still have half an hour left on May’s clock. Do you wanna call it, or take the long way home?”

Peter allowed himself a small smile. Maybe Tony didn’t want him the way he wanted him, but at least they were sort of friends now. Casually hanging out…

“Um, let’s call it, if you don’t mind. Sorry.”

Peter hated to do it; what he really wanted was to stay out with Tony all night, but he wasn’t going to torture himself by prolonging time with someone he couldn’t have. He wasn’t going to take advantage of Tony’s generosity, either. He probably had things to do. A penthouse to get back to.

* * *

Tony was completely dumbfounded as to what had gone wrong. He’d dropped Peter off, but the boy had refused his request to walk him up to his apartment. Tony could brush that off, but the boy had been completely morose for the last hour of their night. They hadn’t even capitalized on the curfew. Peter was home early for fuck sakes.

Tony had watched Peter disappear into the apartment building with nothing but confusion on his face. _Have I been reading this entire thing wrong?_ He'd wanted to ask if Peter was uncomfortable, or if he’d done something wrong, but those phrases had a perfect record of making people uncomfortable. He didn’t want to draw anymore attention to it, so he had just let Peter go.

He drove around Peter’s neighbourhood for a half hour before retreating back to Manhattan. The drive at least gave him some time to think about when exactly Peter’s mood had turned.

“Look alive, Jarvis. I need something.”

“Yes, sir?”

“You have audio from around 9PM?” Tony asked as he changed lanes.

“I do. Would you like me to play audio?”

“Uh, search file for mention of school. Play from there.”

Tony listened as Jarvis played his and Peter’s conversation back to him.

_So how was this week at school?_

_You coming by really shut Flash up, but I don’t think anything can stop him for more than a few days._

_What’s he saying now?_

_It’s nothing major because he doesn’t want anyone to overhear. Then they’d know I’d won. It’s okay, sir. I can handle it._

_What’s he saying?_

_He’s acting like I didn’t really earn the scholarship fairly. Like I did something to make you give it to me._

_That’s ridiculous, what would he—Oh._

_Yeah._

_If you want me to take you home, I can do that. If this gives people the wrong idea…maybe it’s best not to._

_More like if this gives_ me _the wrong idea._

“Whoa, play that part again.” Tony squeezed the steering wheel.

 _More like if this gives_ me _the wrong idea._

“Okay, that’s enough,” Tony told Jarvis.

So that was it. That’s where he’d fucked up. Peter wasn’t upset because he was coming on too strong; he was upset because he thought Tony had been rejecting him.

Tony had only been trying to give Peter an out if that was what he wanted. He couldn’t give less of a fuck if people got the “wrong idea”. Especially an idiot like Flash. Tony only cared how Peter felt about their time together, and he’d accidentally conveyed the complete opposite.

_Okay this isn’t so bad. Easy fix._

“Text message to Peter Parker.”

“I surmise you have identified the cause of Mr. Parker’s upset?” Jarvis wondered after Tony finished composing the message.

“Yeah, I got it,” Tony answered. “If he still wants anything to do with me, you might get to meet him after all.”

“I would have preferred it if he had been made aware of my presence already, sir.”

“It killed you that I used Bluetooth instead of you, didn’t it?” Tony grinned. “So sensitive.”

“I will leave you to infer my response.”


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony confuses Peter even more.

**Tony Stark:** I can tell you were having a good time until I asked you about school.

 **Tony Stark:** Let me make it up to you.

 **Tony Stark:** How about we go somewhere more on your turf next time?

 **Peter:** It was my fault. Not yours. You really don’t need to make anything up to me sir.

 **Peter:** But it would be sweet if we could hang out again. I don’t know where celebrities go or what they like to do though…

 **Tony Stark:** What do you like to do?

 **Peter:** This is where I would suggest bowling.

 **Peter:** Does Tony Stark bowl?

 **Tony Stark:** He does. At least that’s what I’ve been told…

 **Tony Stark:** I happen to own a bowling alley.

 **Peter:** You are so cool. :)

 **Peter:** Are you going to close it down and give the staff the day off like in the movies?

 **Tony Stark:** Obviously.

 **Peter:** Omg lmao I was just kidding.

 **Tony Stark:** I have to check my schedule. It might not be for a couple weeks, but it’ll happen.

 **Peter:** Okay, that’s cool. I know you’re busy.

 **Tony Stark:** I'll let you know. xo

Peter sighed. The nicer Tony was, the more confusing it was. Was Tony so lonely and tired of his world that he enjoyed slumming it? Was this whole thing just coming from boredom? Peter couldn’t make sense of it. Tony was hot and cold. One minute he was flirting and saying XO, and the next he was saying maybe he should take Peter home, so people didn’t get the wrong idea. It was infuriating.

“Knock knock,” May said, slowly opening the door as soon as Peter told her it was okay to come in.

Peter was lying on his bed, still in the suit.

“How’d it go, love?” May sat on the edge of the bed.

“It was…It was amazing, May,” Peter admitted, sitting up. “We went to this fancy restaurant, and he let me try his drink, and the bill came to like six hundred bucks. He tipped like four hundred too.”

May raised her eyebrows. “Why do you look so depressed, then?”

“He was super nice, and funny, and you know…I just…it’s not like what I thought it was.”

“Well, I can’t say I’m not relieved,” May admitted, “but I am sorry. What happened?”

“We talked the whole time, but we basically didn’t say anything. You know? It was just like random jokes or teasing, but it just never went anywhere. I still don’t know anything about him, and he tried asking me about school and stuff, but I said something stupid about Flash. I feel like I always bring him up, and I don’t want Mr. Stark to see me as some pathetic little kid getting bullied…”

Peter shook his head and sighed before continuing, “I don’t know, and then he said something about not wanting to give people the wrong idea. Like he was basically saying that us being seen together at dinner was going to make people think we were dating. As if it was embarrassing or wrong for him which I already knew, but I had kinda hoped he thought it was a date too. You know?”

May frowned. “I’m sorry. Really, Peter. I thought there was something else there, too. I’m just as confused as you.”

Peter nodded, grateful that May was on his side. He didn’t want to make it seem like the entire night had been a disaster, because it wasn’t, but he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed at how he’d misread things. It didn’t make sense, though. If Mr. Stark didn’t like him, why ask to hang out again? Why text? Maybe May would have some insight on that.

“But then he just texted me and asked if I wanted to go bowling sometime. Like, what the fu—I’m sorry,” Peter apologized sheepishly at the almost swear, “what does he want from me, May?”

“That sounds a hell of a lot like a date to me. Bowling doesn’t have anything to do with celebrating your scholarship, but I don’t want to get your hopes up if he’s being so wishy-washy.”

“Exactly.” Peter threw his hands up. “He’s so confusing.”

“What do you think I should do?” Peter asked after a moment.

“Honestly, I don’t know.” May chewed her lip. “You could go and have fun without worrying about his intentions, see where things go.”

“I think we need to consider the possibility that even he doesn’t know what he’s doing or what he wants,” May added.

“Yeah, but he’s Tony Stark. He’s had more dates than a frickin’ calendar. He’s gotta know what he’s doing.”

“That’s true,” May conceded, “or he could be trying to go slow for you. Not pressure you.”

“That makes me like him a hell of a lot more,” May admitted.

“I don’t know what to do.” Peter shook his head. “This all seems so high school. What’s the point of going after an older man if it’s like this? He’s supposed to, you know, take the lead. Be clear about what he wants, so I don’t have to think and analyze and wonder.”

“I’ll tell you a secret.” May grinned. “High school never ends.”

“Oh, God, May. Don’t say that! Please,” Peter complained.

“I’m just saying. Adults only act like they know everything. Sometimes we’re just as scared—if not more scared—as you. Maybe you’re so charming and adorable that you intimidate him.”

Peter looked at her like she was insane. Him intimidate Tony Stark? Please.

“I can’t give you answers because I don’t know him,” May explained. “But I think we should focus on the positive and what we do know.”

“Which is?”

“You look like a million bucks in that suit.” May smiled.

Peter grinned. He couldn’t deny that. “Oh yeah,” Peter huffed, pulling Mr. Stark’s glasses from his pocket and sliding them on his face. “He traded glasses with me. What do you think?”

“He took your thrift store glasses, and gave you these?” May furrowed her brows.

“Yeah.” Peter nodded. “Is that a bad thing?”

“No, Peter.” May smiled, “I think there’s hope for you yet.”

* * *

Peter still had Tony on his mind when Ned came to his locker on Monday morning.

“Dude, how’d it go?” Ned prompted. “Did he try anything?”

“Hey, man,” Peter greeted. It was going to suck watching Ned’s hopeful expression turn disappointed.

“It’s not like that. I definitely read it wrong,” Peter admitted.

“Oh.” Ned pouted briefly before shrugging and smiling again. “Oh well. At least you got some free food out of it, plus you still have the money.”

Peter grinned. Ned was always looking on the bright side.

They made their way to class, and Peter recounted the details of his night out with Mr. Stark. The suit, the glasses, the car, the food, the drinks, the conversation, and then the follow-up text.

It made Peter feel better that Ned was so excited for him even after telling him the entire story. In Ned’s view, the night had totally been a date—no question about it. The thought had Peter smiling even after they got settled at their desks.

The teacher had barely gotten through attendance when an announcement sounded over the PA system. “Attention all teachers and students, please report to the gymnasium for an important assembly.”

A few scattered cheers sounded around the classroom. Everyone loved getting out of class.

Peter walked to the gym side-by-side with Ned. Whispers and chatter from his fellow students wondering what could be so important as to interrupt morning classes filled the hallways. The last time such an impromptu assembly had happened, there had been a natural disaster.

Peter sat in his seat, straining his ears to see if he could hear anything about why they were there. Not even the teachers knew.

Principal Morita finally came to stand at the podium at the front of the gym. “Good morning, everyone. My apologies for the short notice. We were only notified shortly before you were, but I assure you it’s for a good reason.”

Peter glanced at Ned to see what he made of it. Ned just shrugged.

The principal continued, “As you know, it’s almost the end of the year which means our seniors are graduating. It’s one of the most stressful and exciting times of these students’ lives. Exciting because what they decide now will be a huge part of their future. Stressful because it means applying for scholarships, internships, loans, and entrance to the top schools in the country. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary.”

“Because of the prestigious nature of some of these awards, many companies and programs only allow one student to reap their benefits.” Mr. Morita paused dramatically. “At Midtown, we’re lucky to have many students who qualify for various awards and monetary supplements. You should all be very proud. I mean it. Everyone, let’s have a round of applause for our graduating class.”

Peter couldn’t help but roll his eyes a bit at how extra it all was. Still, he clapped his hands.

“This year, one of our graduating students has earned the most prestigious award in the country. The elusive scholarship provided by Stark Industries. This award is given to one student every year. Not just in New York, but in the United States. Stark Industries gives out all kinds of awards, of course, but this scholarship is for the best of the best. It grants the recipient a full ride to whichever school they want to attend and for whichever level of degree they wish to possess.”

Peter was about to shit himself. How the fuck had he not seeing this coming? His entire face went red, and he slipped down in his chair. He could already feel Flash’s eyes on him. A couple clusters of students were murmuring—those who’d heard that Mr. Stark had been seen with Peter Parker. They were all putting two and two together.

“I’d like to present to you Mr. Tony Stark himself, the owner of Stark Industries. He’ll take it from here.”

The entire gym erupted with clapping and hollering.

Peter wanted to die.

“Holy shit,” Ned whispered. “Did you know he was doing this?”

“No,” Peter squeaked. His faced heated even more when he watched Mr. Stark walk into the gym as casually as if he was walking into his own house.

_Fuck._

“Hey everyone.” Tony grinned. He didn’t even bother standing behind the podium. He just tapped his earpiece to make sure it was connected to the sound system, and then he paced the front of the gym.

Everyone applauded again just from the simple greeting.

“Being a company owner is awesome,” Tony began, “but it’s constant work. If it’s not one thing, it’s the other. Stock prices, projects, office politics, hiring, firing, blah blah blah.” Tony shuddered. “It’s a lot like high school, actually. Right? There’s always someone on your tail for something. Whether it’s your teacher looking for the algebra homework, the janitor wondering what that disgusting smell coming out of your locker is, or an annoying classmate whose life goal is to pick on you for absolutely no reason.”

“Whether it’s work or school, or whatever, it’s nice when you can take a step away from the mundane part and find a way to have fun with it. Find your groove, or your niche, if you will. Find something that takes your mind off all the monotony of boring homework and bitchy classmates, but still allows you to be productive, learn something, improve yourself. Sports, clubs, musicals, plays, volunteering, part-time jobs, well, okay, maybe not the jobs, but you get what I’m saying.” Tony smiled while he waited for people to settle down.

“To get away from it all, I like to do two things. First, disappear into my workshop for hours and days on end. Designing, inventing, tweaking existing projects, whatever. Things that might not necessarily ever see the light of day. The fun stuff. The second is finding the brightest students in the country and helping them meet their potential. Get them where they need to go. At Stark Industries, we get to foster the youth of the future. Thousands of kids every year, just like you guys, apply for my internships, my scholarships, and my programs. I fund hundreds of research projects all over the country. For me, it doesn’t even feel like work at all. If I continue with my analogy, it’s better than your sports and clubs, it’s like your Friday night dance, or your trip to the mall. Whatever, screw the analogy.” Tony waved. “Let me get to the point.”

Everyone laughed.

“At Midtown Tech, you’ve got one of those gems I endeavour to discover. You’ve got someone who I think—and don’t quote me on this, he could turn out to be a madman—can be one of the country’s finest. Hell, he might even be the next me. A kid like this only comes around once in a lifetime, and I’ve never been happier with my hobby. Adding this one-of-a-kind achiever to my collection is one of my proudest moments. I can't wait to see where he takes us in the future. Let’s hear it for Mr. Peter Parker, the newest recipient of the Stark Industries Optimum Scholarship! Come on up here, Pete.”

Peter’s legs barely carried him up to the front. His stomach was rolling. His ears barely registered the clapping. A distant part of his mind noted that all of his teachers were on their feet. Tons of kids were smiling at him. The rest of them were glaring in jealousy.

“Hey, there he is.” Tony held out his arms for a hug.

Peter fell into Tony, relieved that he didn’t have to be up there all alone.

Tony squeezed him tightly and pulled back to look at Peter questioningly. “Okay?” He mouthed.

Peter nodded weakly. It was so much. Not just the public spectacle of it, but the surprise, and reality finally setting in that he’d won and everyone knew. Tony was here. They’d even hugged.

Tony smiled.

“Anyway.” Tony addressed the audience once more. “I’m not gonna make Peter thank the academy or anything like that. He’s going to have enough work to do when he goes to MIT this fall!”

More clapping.

“Really, there’s not much else to this presentation except showing you guys that you don’t have to come from Ivy League feeder schools to succeed. You don’t have to have the advantages I started with, either. With hard work and creativity, you can make your own way. That being said, you might be wondering exactly what Peter has that gave him the edge over everybody. What makes him so special. That’s easy.” Tony shrugged. “Peter’s the full package. He’s a solid kid. Three extra-curriculars, perfect GPA, and don’t be surprised if you see his project proposal used by some of the biggest companies in the world in a few years. Hopefully my company if I play my cards right.” Tony winked.

Peter flushed. It was awkward standing up in front of everyone while Tony spoke. He wanted to go and sit down.

“Peter earned this. He deserves it. Yeah, sure, sucks for the rest of you, but I know all of you will find success in one way or another. If this school could produce someone as intelligent as Peter, then I have high hopes for everyone in this room. You don’t have to peak in high school,” he laughed. “And if you don’t care about any of this then maybe you’ll care that I’m giving everyone here two tickets to the Stark Expo this summer!”

People were on their feet.

“Let’s hear it for Peter again. God, I feel jealous that you guys have had him all this time.”

Peter was relieved when Tony ended his speech. He was still standing at the front of the room in touching distance of Tony who ruffled his hair while students and staff cheered all over the gym. The Stark Expo was a huge deal. The fact that someone from Midtown was winning the Stark scholarship was a big deal. Enrollment for the next academic year was about to skyrocket. Peter was officially affiliated with Stark Industries, and that was enough to make him at least a B list celebrity. If not an A.

Tony waved to everyone and left the room, pulling Peter with him. From outside the gym, Peter could hear the principal trying to settle everyone down and dismiss them.

“Hey,” Tony said softly. “Are you all right?”

“Why’d you do that?” Peter frowned.

“Couple reasons, actually.” Tony shrugged. “I have to, and I’ve been putting it off so long that Potts is ready to kill me. And also, I was thinking about what you said about that little douchebag saying you won the money for any reason but your mind. I needed to set the record straight.”

“You could’ve warned me. You said I wouldn’t have to do anything public for a while.”

“I didn’t want you to worry about it.” Tony shrugged. “Plus you would’ve skipped.”

Peter huffed. He wanted to be mad about it, but his mind was still fuzzy from all the excitement. He didn’t really know how to feel. Tony had said he was going to shield him as much as possible, but not forever, so it wasn’t like he had betrayed him, or done it on purpose to embarrass him. It was a necessary evil, and Tony did have a responsibility to his company. If he was being honest, it did feel good to have everyone clap for him and have the truth out in the open. It had been even better to hear Tony say such nice things about his project and work-ethic.

“So. When are we going bowling?” Peter asked with a shy smile. Time to change the subject. “I know you said it wouldn’t be for a couple weeks, but…” _Please don’t make me wait._

“How about tonight?” Tony grinned.

“All right,” Peter agreed. “Text me?”

“Absolutely.” Tony gave him a thumbs up.

Peter nodded and walked away just as everyone started filing out of the gym. He turned back for one last glimpse and caught sight of Tony signing autographs. Tony met his eye, and Peter could have sworn he winked behind his sunglasses. It was hard to tell, though. Probably just a trick of the light.


	8. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter go bowling and fall a little more in love with each other. Hashtag mutual pining.

Tony knew that the assembly had been a bit much, but he figured he needed to do something grandiose. Something to prove to Peter that he wasn’t trying to hide anything and to prove he didn’t care what other people thought of what they were or weren’t doing. He’d basically told the entire school how perfect he thought Peter was. The whole thing hadn’t been all about the romantic gesture—he really hadn’t been kidding when he told Peter that Pepper was getting on his case about making the announcement. As much as he wanted to keep Peter out of the limelight and all to himself, it just wasn’t an option. They couldn’t keep a secret forever.

**Tony Stark:** Pick you up at 7?

**Peter:** Absolutely. I’ll be ready!

**Tony Stark:** You better be ;)

Tony was surprised to see Peter standing on the sidewalk outside of his apartment building when he arrived to pick him up. He had been prepared to go upstairs and work on earning a firmer position in May’s good graces, so he could have more freedom with Peter.

He had also been interested in greeting the kid with a hug, walking him down to the car and opening the door for him like a gentleman. He wondered why Peter had decided to forgo that part of the evening. Especially now that Tony was hyperaware of how lacking the physical contact between them was; they’d only shared one hug, and doing it in front of the school hadn’t been the most ideal of locations… Tony would just have to make sure he got one in later.

“I didn’t expect you to be waiting downstairs,” Tony greeted in lieu of a normal hello.

“Oh, I said I’d be ready. Didn’t want to waste time.” Peter smiled. “I want to play as many games as possible.”

“Well, you’re in luck Mr. Parker because our interests are aligned.”

“Good.”

Tony wanted to keep the playful banter going, but he couldn’t resist addressing the elephant in the room—car—before he got too lost in the evening. The last time he had spoken with Peter, after the assembly, he had been a little upset. Peter seemed happier now, but Tony didn’t trust it.

“I know it was a lot. Are you pissed?”

Peter looked at him with a thoughtful expression before he shook his head. “I was mostly surprised, and kind of…annoyed at first.” He smiled sheepishly. “But everyone was congratulating me all day, and my teachers were all like…super proud. Flash didn’t even bother saying anything, and I think that’s kind of what you were trying to do? So actually, I wanted to thank you.”

Tony was taken aback. Literally nobody ever thanked him for anything. Usually he was chastised or criticized, and then he offered some sort of half apology, and both parties pretended it never happened. He had expected to do some groveling to get back into Pete’s good graces, or at least some textbook avoiding of the issue. The last thing he’d expected was a thank you.

“I’m sorry?” Tony asked. “You’re saying thank you?”

Peter shrugged. “Uh, yeah?”

“I embarrassed you in front of the school. I didn’t tell you I was going to do that. I outed you after I told you I wanted to put it off as long as possible.”

“I guess you can see it that way. It was kind of nice, to be honest. Yeah, I was nervous, but I really did work hard for the award. I liked that you told everyone that, and like you said, we had to announce it sometime. I know you didn’t do it to embarrass me on purpose.”

“You—” Tony tried. Wow. What was this? He was at a loss for words. Could Peter be any more perfect? So understanding and reasonable. “You’re seriously—” Tony cut himself off again before he could say anything too embarrassing.

Peter took mercy on him and threw him a life preserver to save him from drowning in his words. “Bowling?”

“Bowling.” Tony nodded. “Bowling’s good.”

“Aunt May said 10 again since it’s a school night.” Peter grinned.

“Ugh, grown ups suck.”

“Not all of them.”

* * *

“You own this bowling alley?” Peter remarked when they pulled into the empty parking lot.

“Yeah.” Tony shrugged, walking up to the building. He unlocked the doors with a smirk.

“I had my 13th birthday party here,” Peter laughed. “I had no idea.”

“Oh, I own lots of things everywhere,” Tony explained. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve frequented my secret businesses more than once.”

Peter shook his head. “I wonder what you were even doing when I was 13.”

Tony grimaced. “Probably nothing good.”

“Where else did you have a party?” Tony asked, walking into the building. He flipped on all the lights.

“Uh, just here. I think maybe a McDonalds when I was younger?”

Tony grinned. “That’s cute.”

“Where’d you have your birthday parties?” Peter wondered. “Paris? London?”

“Occasionally,” Tony admitted.

“Your birthday’s coming up in a couple weeks, isn’t it?” Peter asked, trying to keep it casual.

“Indeed, it is,” Tony sighed.

Peter nodded. “So how come the Stark Industries logo isn’t plastered over every ball return in the building? You don’t even have a sign up.”

“Some things are better left unbranded,” Tony explained. “I don’t own it for the attention, anyway.”

“You like having places to go where you can be normal?” Peter tried.

“Yeah, kid,” Tony agreed.

Peter looked around, trying to find a ball that wasn’t too heavy.

Tony went behind the counter. “What size shoes, Pete?”

Peter glanced back at Tony. “You knew my suit size. Shouldn’t you know my shoe size too?”

Tony shook his head at Peter’s cheekiness. “We’ll go nine and a half.”

“You know how to work the lanes, Mr. Stark?” Peter asked. He watched Tony access the computer behind the counter. A loud hum indicated that lanes 10 and 11 were up and running. “Did you build them?”

“No,” Tony laughed. “I’m sort of an engineer, though? Not sure if you noticed. If I can’t work a bowling alley, then I’m in deep trouble.”

“Oh.” Peter blushed, “Yeah, sorry. That makes sense.”

Tony continued laughing. “You nervous or something? Why?"

“I don’t know,” Peter admitted. “It’s just cool, I guess. You, well, you know. You’re Tony Stark. You could hang out with anyone, but you’re here at a bowling alley with me,” he trailed off. “I…it’s. Yeah.”

Tony nodded in understanding. “Well, lighten up. You need to be on your A-game, so I can beat you fair and square.”

Peter giggled, “You think you’re going to beat me? Get real, Stark.”

“Ahh, there he is.” Tony pointed at Peter.

* * *

Peter jumped out of his chair when Tony got a strike on the first frame. “Oh yeah, baby. That’s what I’m talking about. Awesome!” He held out his hand for a high five.

Tony slapped back. “I thought we were competing. Doesn’t that mean you’re supposed to boo me or something?”

“Nah,” Peter said, walking up to grab his ball. “It’s more fun this way.”

Peter’s neck tingled, and he got the sense that Tony’s eyes were on him as he took his turn, but he didn’t let it screw him up. When he turned back around, he saw that Tony had, indeed, been watching him the entire time.

“A spare.” Peter shrugged, returning to the screen in time to see the little animation that played after every player’s turn.

Tony held out his hand for a high five. “Still good.”

“Do you want something before we get too tied up in the game? Food? Drinks?” Tony asked. “I’d rather not operate a fryer for the sake of my dignity, but I’m sure there’s something quick back there.”

“Oooo.” Peter nodded eagerly. “If the slushie machine is on, I’ll take a red one. Oh, and some nachos.”

“Come to the kitchen with me?” Tony suggested with an easy smile.

“Oh, yeah. Coming.” Peter got up.

Tony started walking to the concession area. He got out his keys so that he could unlock the door.

“It’s been so long since I’ve had bowling alley food,” Peter commented.

“Yeah, me too.” Tony grinned, jingling his keys and stowing them away.

Peter tried not to be obvious while he checked Tony out. The man was strolling around the kitchen, rifling through plastic bags and food containers. Peter hadn’t ever seen Tony out of a suit, so this was basically a special occasion. Tony was wearing black jeans, and a worn Black Sabbath t-shirt. He’d been wearing a leather jacket, but he’d removed it. Peter was obsessed. He knew that Tony would look good in anything, though. The air of confidence that surrounded him was half the appeal. Tony wasn’t even six feet tall, but to Peter, it was like he reached the ceiling.

Tony gave Peter free reign of the kitchen, so he ended up grabbing nachos, a blue and a red slushie, and a hot dog—he just heated it up in the microwave instead of waiting for it to heat up on the roller grill. “You want me to make you anything, Mr. Stark?”

Tony shook his head, “It’s all right, I’m more of a drinks kind of guy.”

Peter grinned while Tony filled a cup with ice and slotted it under the Coke dispenser.

“No booze tonight?” Peter teased.

“I gotta stay sharp to keep up with a certain whippersnapper,” Tony explained.

“Smart.” Peter teased.

* * *

“What time is it?” Peter asked after their fifth game. He had won two, and Tony had won three.

“9:27,” Tony said.

“Let’s do one more game. We have to at least tie.”

Peter expected Tony to bring up the curfew when the man glanced at his watch. He was glad to know the man had it on his mind but was willing to push the limits if Peter said it was okay.

Peter brought everything he had to win the sixth game.

Tony threw a gutterball, and Peter whined, “Hey! Don’t let me win. That’s not fair.”

“I wish I’d done it on purpose,” Tony laughed. “I’m not that much of a gentleman.”

Peter was appeased.

“Come on, Pete. You just need a strike. You can do it,” Tony encouraged.

Peter smiled at the man before walking up to throw his last turn.

“Yeah, baby!” Tony whooped when Peter did it.

Peter pumped his fist. “Yes!” He didn’t think when he ran back down the lane to hug Mr. Stark.

“Oof,” Tony exhaled when Peter crashed into him. He wrapped his arms around the boy. “Good job.”

Peter didn’t let go. He just held on, remembering the first hug he’d shared with Mr. Stark. How he’d wished it could’ve lasted longer, and how he’d wished nobody else had been in the room.

Tony didn’t say anything when Peter didn’t release. He just rubbed his hand lightly between Peter’s shoulder blades. Peter was getting dizzy with the scent of Tony’s cologne. He smelled so fresh and spicy. Peter physically couldn’t move himself away.

“Your hair smells like apples,” Tony said quietly.

Peter finally willed himself to pull back from Tony. “Yeah? Is that…good?”

Tony nodded. “I love apples.”

* * *

Peter couldn’t stop thinking about the hug the entire way back to his apartment. Tony’s scent was shorting his brain function. He could still feel the phantom sensation of Tony’s arms around him. It was more than intoxicating.

“Shit,” Tony hissed, stepping on the gas. “It’s after 10.”

“It’s okay,” Peter sighed, “May will be cool. I texted her.”

When Tony pulled up to the front of the building, Peter just sat in his seat with his hand on the door handle. “I don’t wanna go, Mr. Stark.”

“I don’t want you to, either,” Tony admitted. “I’ll text you, okay?”

“Okay.” Peter nodded. “That was really fun, you know. Awesome, actually. Thanks for bringing me.”

“Anytime,” Tony replied.

“All right, well,” Peter managed to open the door. “See you later.”

“Yep.” Tony nodded. “Tell May I said hi.”

Peter smiled. “Bye, sir.”

* * *

Tony was utterly smitten. He'd started missing Peter before the kid had even gotten out of the car. Peter was just so light and energetic. Every word that came out of the kid’s mouth was a delight. He was naturally funny and gentle. He was sweet. Not even competitive, either; Peter had just wanted to have fun bowling and spending time together. It was weird for him because the people in his world didn’t high five. It was all handshakes and polite nods. Tension and competition—whether passive aggressive or active aggressive. Who could be smarter. Who could earn more. Who knew more people.

Peter didn't care about any of that; he was just so pure. Tony couldn’t get the boy off his mind. His cute little walk while he was throwing the ball. The way he threaded his hands through his hair after he missed a pin. His mega smile when Tony got a strike. It was so easy to make the boy happy—a simple slushie had done it. How enthusiastically Peter had hugged him.

Tony was addicted.

He thought back to his speech about Peter at the high school. Nothing he’d said had been a lie. Really, he could’ve said more. He would’ve told the entire school that they’d never be as good as Peter. Nothing they ever did or thought of doing would even come close to touching Peter’s level. That would’ve been seriously rude, but it would’ve been honest. He hoped that Peter would make a move a little heavier than a hug the next time they were together. He was still serious about waiting for Peter to initiate any romantic relationship. Tony didn't want to be too forward and scare Peter off. He thought he was already being obvious enough; he'd asked Peter for every outing they'd ever had and flirted with him like it was his job.

“Jarvis.”

“Yes, sir?”

“Play audio. 10:10, I think it was.”

_I don’t wanna go, Mr. Stark._

_I don’t want you to, either. I’ll text you, okay?_

_Okay. That was really fun, you know. Awesome, actually. Thanks for bringing me._

_Anytime._

_All right, well. See you later._

_Yep. Tell May I said hi._

_Bye, sir._

“Repeat," Tony said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol I remember when I first posted this and so many people were hurt at the "I don't wanna go," at the end. I wonder if it still has the same effect, or if it's not quite so sad anymore now that we've been through worse. :(


	9. Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter dance around each other a little more until one of them has enough and decides to get the ball rolling...
> 
> Featuring Happy and Ned trying to be decent bros and sort of succeeding lol.

“What’s the matter with you?”

Tony jolted awake at his desk. He’d fallen asleep in the shop. Again.

“With me? You’re the one that comes in here screaming in the middle of the night,” Tony retorted.

Pepper crossed her arms. “It’s 10 in the morning.”

“That’s what I said.”

“Is this about that kid?” Pepper narrowed her eyes.

“Who?” Tony asked, pushing away from his desk to roll across the floor.

“Peter Parker,” she replied smugly.

“What about him?”

“That’s what I’m asking you, Tony. I saw your speech at the school. Midtown sent a recording of it to the email you gave them which routes back to me, fortunately. They also sent a heartfelt thank you letter for Expo tickets. Is this ringing a bell?

“Yeah?”

“Tony, you’ve been giving out this scholarship for ten years. I’ve seen all of your presentations.”

“I’m still really not getting the point. Pepper,” Tony shook his head. “Can you give me the SparkNotes?”

“You like him,” Pepper accused. “Your speech was really something else. Plus, you didn’t tell me about it, or invite me, or any of the PR team for that matter.”

“I don’t tell you a lot of things.” Tony shrugged, purposely ignoring everything else about her comment.

“You rub every event you do in my face to remind me that you actually ‘do things around here’,” Pepper laughed. “You tried to sneak this one by me. I wonder why.”

Tony spun around in his chair. “So what if I do like the kid?”

“Say that sentence again and see if you can pick out what’s wrong with it,” Pepper suggested.

“Oh, what? Because I call him kid?”

Pepper nodded.

“He’s 17.” Tony waved. “You know what I was doing at 17?”

“Everybody in the world knows.” Pepper nodded.

“Right, well refresher course, I was graduating MIT.” Tony stood up. “I had girlfriends twice my age when I was 17. Guyfriends.” Tony shrugged. “Pete’s a smart kid. He can make his own decisions.”

Pepper was a minute away from stomping her heel and walking out. “I don’t even know how to begin to handle this,” Pepper admitted.

“Are you ill-equipped to be CEO, then? Should I start taking resumes?” Tony grinned.

“Tony.”

“Pepper.”

“Anthony.”

“Virginia.”

“I advise you not to move any further with this,” Pepper said calmly. “That’s my piece.”

“Noted,” Tony agreed.

Pepper sighed.

“You really needn’t worry, dear,” Tony added. “I’m not even sure if it’s gonna pan out.”

Pepper smiled sympathetically. That was her friendly response. Her professional response was a relieved nod.

“Can you at least keep me updated so that we can stay ahead of it if something happens?” Pepper asked.

“You got it,” Tony agreed. “Cross my heart.”

“And you know he is going to have to do an interview eventually. Right?”

“Yeah, yeah. Seriously. It’s all good. I’ve got it under control.”

“I’m going to add babysitter to my email signature. I swear to God, Tony.”

“I won’t stop you.” Tony winked.

* * *

**Tony Stark:** Good morning, Mr. Parker.

 **Peter:** Hey, Mr. Stark! :) What’s up?

 **Tony Stark:** Just had a meeting with my CEO.

 **Peter:** Wow. Professional 8-)

 **Tony Stark:** You have no idea.

 **Tony Stark:** What’s up with you?

 **Peter:** Math. We’re doing algebra.

 **Tony Stark:** Lunch is soon. Any plans?

 **Peter:** Nothing special. You?

 **Tony Stark:** I was going to ask you if you wanted to come out with me, but I don’t know if that’s a good idea.

The familiar ache Peter felt when Tony seemed to want to stop hanging out returned. It was just like it had been back in the restaurant. Tony didn’t want people to get the wrong idea of what was happening between them. Now he was explicitly saying it wasn’t a good idea. If Tony thought that, why was he even bothering? _It’s not like I’m forcing him to hang out with me. He said he doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to._ Peter just didn’t get adults. He’d never met anyone harder to read than Mr. Stark.

 **Peter:** Why not?

 **Tony Stark:** My boss thinks I’m showing too much favoritism.

Peter scrunched his face up at that word and its implications. _Favoritism._ Peter already knew there were others competing with him; Tony Stark was the hottest commodity in existence. But who did he have to beat specifically? Then again, if he was Tony’s favourite, maybe he was already winning. The thought excited him.

 **Peter:** I thought you were the boss.

 **Tony Stark:** You’ve convinced me. I’ll come pick you up.

 **Tony Stark:** Ned’s welcome to come along.

 **Peter:** Cool. Want us to meet you on a side street or something? Nobody will see that way.

 **Tony Stark:** Yeah, maybe we better.

 **Peter:** Okay, see you soon.

 **Peter:** Ned’s probably gonna faint fyi.

 **Tony Stark:** I’ll make sure I have my camera ready.

Peter was happy that Tony was picking him for lunch again, but his worries were still on his mind. Tony had gone and invited Ned—which was fine, but not Peter’s idea of a romantic date. He hadn’t actually been serious about meeting Tony away from the front doors of the school—he’d hoped that Tony would’ve called his suggestion ridiculous and insisted on picking up where people could see because he wasn’t ashamed. Instead, he had basically jumped at the chance to be covert. Why? The secret that they knew each other was already out.

Peter wanted to know what Tony was thinking. Was it all really just about the scholarship? Was May right that he was just trying to take things slow? He felt like telling Tony he could take the rejection. He didn’t need to be let down easy; the whole thing with Flash was over, and Tony didn’t need to look after him anymore. If all it was was a pity friendship, then Tony could keep it.

* * *

“Peter, you are officially the coolest friend ever,” Ned sighed wistfully when they got back from lunch.

Peter shrugged. “I’m pretty sure that’s you, buddy.”

“Tony Stark is probably the coolest friend ever too.” Ned shook his head. “How many cars do you think he has?”

“I’ve seen three so far,” Peter answered, “but there’s probably a whole garage full of them somewhere.”

Flash interrupted the conversation before Ned could respond.

“Parker!” He came up behind Peter and smacked his ass.

Peter jumped forward. He hated when Flash did that.

“So, you still hanging out with Stark?” Flash raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah.” Peter nodded. There was no point in lying since he already knew.

“Cool, cool.” Flash paused. “You guys fuck yet?”

“Dude.” Ned glared.

“What? No!” Peter flushed. “I already told you a million times. It’s not like that.”

“I’m just kidding.” Flash waved. “Next time you see him. You mind putting in a good word for me? I’m having a party, and it would be sick if he came.”

“Are you serious?”

“Duh.”

“Mr. Stark hates you,” Peter admitted. He couldn’t help but say it since Flash hadn’t taken the hint when Tony had called him a jackass to his face.

“What?” Flash asked in confusion. “Why? What’d I ever do to him?”

“Because you’re a dick to me.” Peter shrugged.

“But I-I was just kidding before. You know that,” Flash tried.

“Dude, just go away,” Ned said quietly.

“Yeah, man,” Peter agreed. “Just stop. It’s getting old.”

**Peter:** You’ll never guess what just happened

Peter texted Tony despite himself. As much as he wanted to keep his distance from the man, so he didn't seem desperate or clingy, he also wanted to maintain contact. Next to Ned and May, Tony was all he really had. He felt pathetic to admit it.

 **Tony Stark:** You aced another test?

 **Peter:** No that was yesterday. I mean just now.

 **Peter:** Flash came up to me and Ned. He wanted me to invite you to his party lol. Can you believe the nerve?

 **Peter:** I told him that you hated him, and Ned told him to go away! I swear I’ve never seen Flash speechless.

 **Tony Stark:** Good for you. It’s nice to hear you’re finally lashing out on that douchebag. ;)

Peter grinned at his phone. As much as he worried about what exactly was going on between Tony and him, at the end of the day, how many people could say they got to text Tony Stark? Peter was grateful to at least have that. That wasn’t to say he wasn’t still interested in having more. He wanted to hang out with Tony in person again. Friends could hang out.

 **Peter:** So…are you busy this week? Or are you like going out of town or something?

 **Tony Stark:** I’m leaving for India tonight, but I’m back in a few days.

 **Peter:** Oh, okay. Have fun. :)

 **Tony Stark:** Did you have something you wanted to do? Or are you just wondering?

Peter blushed. It was hard for him to be forward. Especially with Tony Stark. Especially when he’d just been with him 15 minutes ago. Especially when he wondered why the guy was even bothering with him anymore.

 **Peter:** No reason. Maybe I wanted to hang out again? But it’s okay. I know you’ve been spending a lot of time with me. You probably have work to do.

 **Tony Stark:** You’ve been spending a lot of time with me. Don’t you have homework?

Peter smiled. That was fair, but he was spending time with Tony because he liked him. He had no idea what Tony’s motivations were.

 **Peter:** Yeah, but my only other friend is Ned. We play with legos lmao. I’m sure you could do better.

 **Tony Stark:** Stop questioning my judgement, young man. And quit texting in class. Go learn something!!

 **Peter:** Yes, boss.

 **Tony Stark:** Good boy.

* * *

Peter was trying not to mope after a few days with no texts. He knew Mr. Stark was away, and most likely too busy to talk, but it still sucked. They’d been speaking almost every day for two months, so this was the longest they’d gone without talking. Peter was not a fan of the silence. It was easy to think he might have imagined the whole thing if it hadn’t been for the thread of old text messages, or the package that Mr. Stark’s bodyguard had dropped off.

Peter kept waiting for Tony to text him and ask if he had received the package okay as he once had with his letter, but he never did, and then a few days turned into a week, and he knew Tony had to have been back in New York by now. Still no word, and at that point it was way too late to send a thank you message. It would’ve been weird—he’d wanted to send one the second the bodyguard left, but the man’s attitude had made it seem like he would’ve been bothering Tony if he texted him over nothing. 

“Are you and Mr. Stark going to start dating?” Ned asked as he sorted the LEGOs of their new 7500-piece project. The Millennium Falcon.

“No. I don’t think so.” Peter worried his lip. “Why?”

“Because he sent you this.” Ned gestured to the assortment of blocks in front of them on the floor.

“Oh,” Peter chuckled. “He just does that.”

“Okay, but this is almost a thousand dollars, Peter,” Ned reasoned. “You don’t spend a thousand bucks on somebody that you’re not trying to get with.”

“Mr. Stark is different. A thousand dollars is nothing to him. Besides, he’s sending me to school, so he’s already giving me a lot more than what these cost.”

“That does nothing to help prove your point.” Ned raised his eyebrows.

“The scholarship money isn’t like that, though.” Peter rolled his eyes. “He’s not doing that because we’re friends. He was doing that anyway.”

“But doesn’t that mean that the other gifts are separate from the scholarship? So you can’t just lump it all together and make it seem like no big deal.” Ned held up his hand. “The gifts are extra.”

“What—When’d you get so smart, huh?” Peter frowned, throwing a block at Ned.

“I’m just saying.” Ned shrugged. “If you were his boyfriend, you’d get to go to tons of cool parties, and like meet celebrities. Plus, lots more LEGOs.”

Peter shrugged. “That stuff’s cool, but I just like hanging out with him and doing regular stuff.”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“I’m serious, Mr. Stark isn’t like what you think. You met him.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Ned allowed. “That was pretty awesome.”

Peter nodded, pleased that Ned agreed with him. “See? He bought lunch for you too, and you don’t think he wants to date you.”

“True, but what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Do you want to date him at least?” Ned asked. “Or are you guys really just friends?”

“I don’t know,” Peter mumbled.

“Well what do you like about him? I mean, I get that’s he’s rich, or funny, or whatever, but I don’t like guys…so I guess I don’t get it that way.”

Peter huffed, “It’s hard to explain. It’s lame.”

“Before Liz graduated, I used to spend all day hoping that she would notice me,” Ned argued. “I think we’re both lame. You can tell me.”

Peter sighed, “He’s just really easy to talk to. He’s not mean, or rude. He doesn’t try to make himself seem like he’s better. I can tell he likes doing normal things. He’s just a regular guy.”

“Plus you think he’s hot?” Ned teased.

“Well, yeah.” Peter scratched his head. “That’s a big part of it.”

“Gross,” Ned laughed.

“Trust me, not gross.”

“Do you think he likes you? Or is it just a mentor thing?”

Peter deliberated. “He’s so fucking confusing,” he groaned. “The first time he came here, I’m pretty sure he took one of my papers. He texts me a lot and stuff. Well, he used to. We sort of hugged at the bowling alley? It’s so frustrating. And like, he bought me that suit, right? I just can’t tell what it means to him. Ugh, and the XOs.”

“Why’d he take one of your papers?” Ned frowned.

“It had his name all over it and a few hearts.” Peter blushed. “I almost died when he picked it up.”

“I once kept a piece of paper that Liz dropped in the hallway,” Ned admitted.

“Oh yeah? What’d it have on it?”

“Nothing, it was just blank.” Ned smiled.

Peter clapped his hands and laughed loudly.

“I had the hugest crush on her,” Ned continued. “So I bet if Mr. Stark took your paper, he probably has a crush.”

“Do old people even get crushes?” Ned asked before Peter could respond.

“He’s not old!” Peter stood up. “He’s just older.” Peter corrected.

“I don’t know, Peter. I heard and saw and read the evidence,” Ned mused, “and to me, the evidence points to him totally being in love with you.”

Peter shook his head. “I’m going to get a drink. You want?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Ned nodded.

Peter went to fetch the drinks, making sure he got his favourite straw. He stood in the kitchen for a moment, gathering his thoughts. When he looked at all the evidence and the possible meanings of it all, he found he couldn’t dismiss Ned’s assessment. Figuring in that May also thought Tony was interested, and even Flash considered it to be true, Peter had to admit that there was a chance. And if there was a chance, there might be only a small window of opportunity for him to capitalize on it, and if Tony wouldn’t act first, he was just going to have to work up the nerve and do it himself. Whether he got rejected or not, at least he’d know the truth.

* * *

Tony wasn’t used to feeling unsure, but he figured he probably ought to get used to it where Peter Parker was concerned. It had been six days since Happy had confirmed delivery of the LEGO set.

Tony wondered if he was coming on too strong. It was hard to say with the way Peter acted—one minute flirty, almost begging to spend time together, and then nothing for a week. Complete radio silence. Not even a thank you.

Tony wondered if Peter was trying to keep his distance because his crush had been fleeting.

Tony wouldn’t have been surprised; he’d spent time with people who had crushes before, and every time they got to know him, the novelty wore off, and they disappeared. It was probably the same with Peter. After the initial star-strike, he didn’t find Tony that interesting anymore.

“Jarv, have any articles come out about Peter?” Tony asked from the comfort of his lab. It was good to be home.

“Indeed, sir. Several.”

“Anything derogatory? Something that questions his merit?”

Jarvis took a moment before displaying seven articles in front of Tony.

Tony browsed them before swiping them away. “Nothing that would explain why he’s not talking to me.”

"Okay,” Tony deliberated, “Give me something else. Any articles with direct quotes from him? People bothering him about the scholarship?”

“No, sir. The closest I can find that relates to your question are ten articles where it is mentioned that Mr. Parker declined an interview.”

“God, he’s a smart kid,” Tony breathed.

“Indeed.”

“Fuck it, I’m texting him.” He was done waiting and wondering. Time to take control.

**Tony Stark:** How’s it going, kid?

Tony tried to focus on the car in front of him as he waited for Jarvis to read Peter’s response. It was convenient to have Jarvis text for him while he was elbows deep in the guts of a racecar.

**Peter:** It’s okay.

 **Peter:** How was India?

“He sounds sad,” Tony commented.

“I detect neutrality,” Jarvis disagreed.

“Oh, God. That’s even worse,” Tony huffed. “Hmm. Let’s see.”

**Tony Stark:** It’s India. Lots of people. Lots of spice.

 **Peter:** Cool.

“Well, well,” Tony said haughtily. “Mr. Parker has a little attitude, doesn’t he?”

“The one-word response does indicate that,” Jarvis replied. “What would you like me to say?”

“Call Happy,” Tony instructed. Maybe the big lug had some insight. He’d been the one to deliver the suit and the LEGOs. He would have seen Peter firsthand.

Happy answered on the first ring. “Tony? What is it? You need me to come in?” 

“God, no. Don’t threaten me like that,” Tony laughed. “No, it’s nothing that drastic.”

“What’s going on?”

“What do you think of the kid?”

“The kid? The Queens kid?” Happy asked.

“Yeah, Peter Parker,” Tony clarified.

“He’s a good kid. Nice, why? Need me to go get him?”

“Would you stop trying to work. Down boy,” Tony commanded.

Happy waited.

“I think he might be mad at me?” Tony cringed. Feelings talk. Whatever. “Give me some advice, go.”

“Well what’d you do?” Happy asked.

“I don’t know.” Tony shrugged.

Happy was silent again.

“You saw him when you went there. How’d he seem?”

“I don’t know,” Happy said. “Seemed excited. Asked when you would be back.”

“And?”

“And what? I told him none of his business. I can’t give out that kind of information. What was I supposed to say?”

Ah. That explained things then. “Wow, buddy, you really went out on a limb there.”

Happy laughed. “What you think I scared him off?”

“Never mind,” Tony whined. “You’re no help.”

“You want some real advice?” Happy asked after a moment.

Tony sighed. Could he even trust Happy? “I guess. Might as well get my phone call’s worth.”

“I think you should talk to him yourself,” Happy suggested. “He’s not a socialite. He probably doesn’t care about gifts and dinners. He lives in a shitty apartment in Queens. You’re gonna have to woo him with your personality before anything else.”

“Ew.” Tony frowned. Nobody was wooed by his personality alone. But, then again, wasn’t his favourite thing about Peter how easy it was to make him happy? Maybe he was enough for Peter Parker.

“Tell me about it,” Happy laughed.

“Okay, thanks big guy.” Tony ended the call and continued his conversation with Peter.

**Tony Stark:** It’s Saturday. Got any plans?

 **Peter Parker:** Not that I know of.

“Jesus Christ, is he going to make me beg for him to come over?”

“Call him,” Tony said to Jarvis.

“Hello?” Peter answered.

“Yeah, hi,” Tony responded.

“Hi.”

Tony squinted his eyes, trying to detect if Peter sounded annoyed.

“You wanna come by the tower today?” Tony got straight to the point. “Private tour. Workshop you can stretch your legs in?”

“I—” Peter began. “Yeah, I’d love to.”

“Don’t do me any favours,” Tony bit. He was getting too old to play games.

Peter backpedaled immediately. “No, no, no. I want to.”

Tony smiled to himself. He could hear the smile in Peter’s voice. “All right, calm down,” he teased, “I’ll pick you up in an hour.” Tony disconnected the call.

“Showtime, Jarvis.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think of the story so far. I know it's a repost, but I'm still eager to hear everyone's thoughts and comments. :))


	10. Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter gets to visit Stark Tower!

Peter was scared his heart might beat right out of his chest when he received Tony’s text. He had just been starting to accept that he was going to have to bite the bullet and text Tony first if he ever wanted to hear from him again, and then the message came in. Instantaneous relief.

May hadn’t even questioned him when he said he was going over to Tony’s to see the tower and the labs because his smile was so big. The last thing she would want to do is be the one to make that smile disappear by telling him he couldn’t go.

Peter elected to wait outside so that he could see Tony as soon as he arrived. He betrayed his excitement by giving Tony a dopey wave as soon as he pulled up to the curb. Normally he might’ve felt like an idiot for not playing it cool, but he felt infinitely better about everything now that Tony was in front of him and still interested. Nothing was going to bring him down. Not this Saturday afternoon.

“Hey,” Tony called through the open window.

“Hey, Mr. Stark.” Peter lumbered forward. He opened the door and grinned. The Burger King crown was still where he’d left it. He plucked it from the seat and put it on.

“Your majesty.” Tony grinned.

Peter smiled.

“Why don’t you play something from your phone again?” Tony suggested while he pulled away.

“Okay,” Peter squeaked.

“You been busy?” Tony said a few moments later.

“No, not at all.” Peter shook his head. “I mean, it’s been kind of crazy. People have been trying to talk to me about the scholarship, and everything, and everyone at school’s been a lot nicer to me than usual, but I haven’t been busy.”

“You and Ned get the Falcon put together?”

“Oh!” Peter exclaimed, “Oh yeah, it was great. Only took a couple days.”

“’Kay…”

“Yeah, no.” Peter threw up his hands. “What about you, Mr. Stark. India? That’s crazy. You must’ve been slammed.”

“No more than usual.” Tony shrugged.

“Oh,” Peter said. “I guess I was just surprised? I mean, we’ve sort of been, texting and everything. I figured since you didn’t say anything…I don’t know, never mind.”

Tony smirked. “You could’ve messaged me. I have service internationally, you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” Peter huffed. “It’s stupid. I didn’t want to bother you.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Kid, if you were bothering me I’d tell you. Do I look like someone who wouldn’t?”

“I don’t—I don’t know,” Peter admitted. “I don’t know you extremely well. You’re kind of hard to read?”

“Fair. Ask me something then, shoot. Anything you want.”

“Anything?” Peter raised his eyebrows. “That’s a big category.”

Tony shook his head. “How about favourites?”

“Okay, okay.” Peter snapped his fingers. “What’s your favourite colour?”

“Candy apple red. Yours?”

“Heh.” Peter scratched his head. “I like red, too. Close second is dark blue.”

“Those glasses were perfect for you then, huh?” Tony waggled his eyebrows.

“Yeah.” Peter nodded. “I actually have them with me, if you want them back or something.”

“Keep ‘em.” Tony waved.

Peter took the shades out of his pocket and put them on with a grin. Between crown and the glasses, he looked like he was at a New Year’s party. All he needed was some beads and a noisemaker.

“Ask me something else,” Tony suggested. “You act like you’re gonna start screaming stranger danger if I don’t reveal my deep secrets to you, so let’s hear it.”

“Okay, what’s your favourite song?”

“Easy. Pepper by the Butthole Surfers, and no, it has nothing to do with my CEO.”

Peter held up his hands. “Hey, wasn’t gonna ask.”

“You could’ve.” Tony shrugged. “That’s the point of this.”

“You ask me something, Mr. Stark. I’m not good at this game,” Peter chuckled. “It’s too much pressure.”

“I’ll see your favourite song question and raise you favourite food.”

“Pizza.” Peter nodded. “No doubt. How about you?”

Tony deliberated.

“Probably hard for you since you’ve tasted like every food on the earth,” Peter teased. “Mr. Exotic.”

“Hey.” Tony grinned. “Fine, I pass. Can’t do it.”

“Wow, you could ask a million people what their favourite food is, and literally nobody would fold.” Peter clapped his hands together. “That’s like the easiest question there is.”

“Punk.” Tony rolled his eyes.

* * *

“I don’t think I’ve ever been in an elevator this long before,” Peter admitted as they ascended the tower.

“You know, I have it programmed to be able to do that freaky drop thing they have at amusement parks.” Tony smiled mischievously. “Wanna give it a go?”

“No!” Peter yelped. “I mean, maybe some other time.” He didn’t think his nerves would be able to take that kind of stress. “Isn’t it weird having an elevator open right into your place? Aren’t you scared someone could walk in or something?”

Tony laughed. “This is my personal elevator. The other ones don’t come up to this floor. Jarvis needs to okay anybody who comes up this far.”

“Who’s Jarvis? Like a butler or something?” Peter wondered.

“J, say hello to Mr. Parker,” Tony said.

“Good afternoon, Peter,” Jarvis responded.

“Holy shit!” Peter smiled. “Hey, man. I’m Peter.”

Tony raised his eyebrows.

“Indeed,” Jarvis spoke. "It is nice to finally meet you."

Peter was still smiling when the doors opened into Tony’s living space. There were no words. The entry way alone was the size of his and May’s entire apartment.

“You can explore later,” Tony said. “Let’s go to the shop.”

Peter followed the man dutifully, wondering how equipped the lab would be. He couldn’t even imagine what was in store for him.

“Oh, Mr. Stark?” Peter asked.

“Hmm?”

“I was wondering. Is it okay that I didn’t give any interviews about the scholarship? I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to, or whatever. If I have to, I will, but I didn't want to just in case I'm not supposed to.”

“No, kid. Never do interviews if you can help it. Once they get a taste for you, they’ll never leave you alone. If nobody can ever talk to you, then they’ll just give up.”

Peter nodded. “Okay, cool. I just didn’t know what to say.”

“They’re vultures, seriously. They’d ask you all sorts of things that you don’t want to talk about. It’s best to just keep to yourself.”

“What if they start asking people around my school? Like Flash. You know, what if he gives them the wrong idea.” Peter had chosen those words intentionally.

“It’s annoying when big mouths start flapping their yaps,” Tony huffed, “but no matter what gets around, if you don’t say anything, his word means absolutely nothing.”

“Thank you,” Peter said earnestly.

“Don’t mention it. I’ve been around the block a few times. If I can spare you unnecessary pain, I will,” Tony explained. “When you need to deal the press, it’ll all be through the company. My team will set it all up, and you’ll get plenty of warning. And prep. Pepper’s a stickler.”

“Awesome.”

They walked down a few hallways before coming to the lab. It was difficult for Peter to map the entire penthouse because this was only his first time seeing it. There were stairs around the perimeter that indicated it was more than one level, but it was so open Peter could look over the railing of the stairs and see most of the layout. The lab was double-decked. Insanely massive.

Peter couldn’t speak it was so remarkable. The entire room was glass—not a smear on it. The shop was immaculate. When Peter pictured a workshop, he imagined a dimly lit garage with oil stains on the floor and shoddy tools lying around. Tony’s lab was like a sci-fi movie come to life.

“I like my place in Malibu better, but this’ll do,” Tony sighed.

Peter strode across the room, sliding off his green jacket. Once he was down to his t-shirt, he roamed freely, investigating and exploring all of the tech and toys.

“See what you make of this.” Tony raised his eyebrows. He waved his hand in the air and brought up his personal server. The virtual computer screens popped up to his own height, and he swiped his hand in front of him to send the images down to Peter.

“Oh my God,” Peter breathed. He was face to face with a computer made of air. “Is this Jarvis?”

“Yes and no. Ask him something. Actually no, watch this. J? Full body scan.”

“Wait!” Peter cried. “Is that gonna like X-Ray through my clothes?”

Tony chuckled. “Sure, but not the way you think. Just stay still.”

Peter didn’t move while the cluster of white and blue before him enveloped him. After a second, he was looking at a rotating, 3D scan of his entire body. He was relieved to see that it wasn’t his actual skin on display—just organs, muscles, bones, and nerves. His vitals were right there in front of him.

Even his brain was lighting up with activity. He could see his heart pumping before him. He frowned, stepping forward to get a closer look. He held his hand out to stop the image from rotating. He manipulated the scan to grow bigger and smaller so that he could hold himself in his hand.

“Look at that.” Tony grinned with pride. “You’re a natural and super freakin’ healthy to boot.”

“Mr. Stark, this is amazing,” Peter breathed. He turned back to look at his vitals.

Tony walked up to clap Peter on the back, and Peter could see the rendering of his brain light up. His heartbeat increased too.

“Clear screen,” he commanded, trying to hide it before Tony could notice.

Everything went away immediately, and he turned to face Tony. He couldn’t tell if the man had noticed how his body had lit up like a Christmas tree under his touch.

“No wonder you spend so much time here,” Peter huffed. “I completely get it.”

“How do you know I spend so much time here? You spying on me?”

“No,” Peter denied. “You say it yourself when I ask you what you’re up to. It’s always ‘the shop, ‘the lab’, ‘working’. I know how to add two and two.”

“You’re a know it all, aren’t you?” Tony retorted.

“I got your scholarship, didn’t I?” Peter beamed.

“You watch it, mister. I’ll have it revoked.” Tony shook his head.

“You wouldn’t!” Peter argued, pushing Tony’s shoulder playfully.

“Don’t test me, Parker.” Tony grinned. “My IQ is way too high for that.”

“Jarvis, what’s Mr. Stark’s IQ?” Peter laughed. He didn’t expect an answer, but once he heard the AI start to speak his smile dropped.

“It is estimated to be upwards of 270, but I am obligated to mention that the standardized Intelligence Quotient is an extremely outdated and unreliable measurement. It has little to no bearing on one’s true capability.”

Peter gaped.

Tony wore an odd combination of a smirk and a sheepish smile.

“I don’t even want to know mine,” Peter said.

“Why?” Tony furrowed his brows.

“Because mine wouldn’t even be close to that,” Peter squeaked.

“How old were you when you manufactured the first run of your fluid cables?” Tony crossed his arms.

“14.” Peter shrugged.

“Yeah, I was fixing engines and building computers then, but I don’t recall ever inventing something,” Tony offered pointedly. “You’re just as smart, if not smarter, kid.”

“Oh,” Peter mumbled, ducking his head.

“You hungry?” Tony asked. “Feeling peckish? Want anything?”

Peter grinned. “Not really. I kind of just want to hang out in here.”

“Have at it.” Tony gestured to the room.

Peter felt like a kid in Disneyland. He rifled through the cabinets and the drawers to see what equipment might be hiding within the sleek walls. He was amazed by the stuff that wasn’t supposed to be amazing. Even the cabinets and closets were high-tech. Peter waved his hand in front of a sensor, and the drawers would extend from the wall—two to three feet deeper than they originally appeared. Everything was lined with a substance Peter couldn’t even identify. Lab equipment was molded into the drawers. Old prototypes of StarkTech were showcased on the back wall. Other things weren't remarkable at all, but they spoke to Tony's sense of humour and childlike interest in machinery. There was a machine in the corner that had a dunce cap and a bow tie on it. Mr. Stark introduced it as Dum-E, and the machine warbled and chirped in greeting. Peter was in love.

Peter found an entire case filled with the glass sheets he recognized as phones—he’d seen Tony use one in his apartment. He picked one up. There was the faintest of wires running through the glass, but it was completely transparent. He had to squint to see it. He examined the black case around the glass, examining it closely. There was a small motherboard and a few more small components inside of a seamless panel. Tony had basically made a phone out of a piece of plastic, attached it to some glass, and called it a day. Yet he saw no port for charging or a SIM card. The phone was completely self-sufficient.

“Would you like me to import the contents of your iPhone to Mr. Stark’s prototype?” Jarvis suddenly asked.

“Y-Yeah. Can I? Please?”

It took only a second before the glass lit up in his hand. His apps and wallpaper were all there. His camera was completely functional, even though he couldn’t see a lens in the glass. He tapped the glass and it turned into a mirror.

“Holy shit.” Peter shook his head.

“Keep it.” Tony offered.

Peter realized Tony had been watching him the entire time—like nothing pleased Tony more than to see people geek out at his tech. Like he could watch Peter all day.

“I—Mr. Stark, no. Thank you, but it’s way too much. This has gotta be worth like, a few grand.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

Peter raised his eyebrows. “Pfffh. Hah. I don’t even know what to say.”

“Watch this.” Tony grinned, snatching the phone from Peter’s hands.

Peter almost screamed when Tony whipped it across the room. _The precious._

Peter’s fear turned into elation when a virtual target appeared. The phone sailed through the middle, and the entire room lit up with green. A scoreboard popped up, flashing _Tony Stark 3 points_ before disappearing. Peter jogged over to collect the phone. He had thought for sure that it would’ve smashed to pieces, but there wasn’t a scratch.

“Mr. Stark.” Peter held up the phone with a smile. “It’s all good.”

Tony bowed.

“Listen, kid.” Tony rubbed his hands together. “I have a few calls to make, so why don’t you go ahead and poke around. See what you can find. Ask Jarvis if you need anything. Keep anything you think is cool. Whatever.”

“Oh, okay.” Peter nodded. He was disappointed, but nothing could bring him down when he was in this technological Heaven. He wondered if there were the appropriate supplies available so that he could make a batch of his fluid cable. It was getting trickier to do at school since it was the end of the year and chemistry experiments were limited to once a week.

“Have fun.” Tony threw up a peace sign and walked out of the lab.

Peter was sad to see him go, but it would be nice to be able to explore without being hyperaware of Tony’s presence in the room.

“Hey, Jarvis?” Peter asked hesitantly. It was odd to speak to an empty room, but it would’ve been odder to ignore one of the coolest things he’d ever had access to.

“Yes, Mr. Parker?”

“Can you play some music?”

“Of course. Do you have any preferences?”

“Uh, maybe Mr. Stark’s most played?”

Jarvis’ answer was to begin the playlist.

* * *

Peter felt like he was coming out of a daze some point after Mr. Stark had left. He hadn’t even registered the music that Jarvis had been playing, and when he looked down at the workstation in front of him, he was surprised to see a whole batch of his polymer cable prototype.

“Whoa,” Peter said, stepping back. “How long has Mr. Stark been gone?”

“Approximately one hour,” Jarvis supplied.

“I must’ve zoned out or something.”

“That is a common side effect of occupying this room,” Jarvis said wryly.

“Really?” Peter chuckled. “Does it happen to Mr. Stark, too?”

“Frequently.”

Peter felt a little better, but he was wondering what was taking Tony so long. He had come to the tower to spend time with Tony not Jarvis. His fluid would take a while to reach the optimal consistency, and then he would have to add another solution to finalize the recipe. He didn’t want to stand around and watch it simmer, so to speak.

“Where’s Mr., uh,” Peter scratched his head. “Where’s Tony?”

“He is still on the phone, but he did mention that you are welcome to tour the premises.”

“Oh, yeah! Okay, cool. I’ll do that.”

Peter exited the lab which felt a little like blasphemy, but the rest of Mr. Stark’s place was just as stocked. He noticed a full bar and several seating areas in the open-concept, multi-level room. Mr. Stark had everything: pool table, dart board, card table, grand piano, guitars, art, and antiques. Peter opened one door to discover a small movie theatre. He opened another set of double doors to discover a full library. Peter’s favourite room was the game room. Mr. Stark had old school arcade games and shelves filled with board games and puzzles. Peter didn’t see an Xbox or a PlayStation, but there was a TV screen that took up an entire wall, so he guessed that Tony ran his own system to play video games.

Peter bit his lip when he looked more closely at everything that took up the rooms. Everything was in mint condition. Games still in plastic wrap. Books with virgin spines. Seating without butt-grooves. The only room in the entire place that had been broken in was the lab. Peter’s amazement faded into sadness. He kept going.

“Yes, that’s what I’m talking about,” Peter cheered. There was a home gym. It had equipment that Peter had never seen. He bet that Mr. Stark had designed it himself. More importantly, past the exercise machines, medicine balls, and weights, there was a glass wall. Beyond the wall, Peter could see a hot tub. “This is amazing,” Peter shook his head.

He ran out of the room, nearly bumping into Tony in the hallway.

“Where’s the fire, kid?” Tony raised his eyebrows.

“Can we… Can I… Do you want to use the hot tub?” Peter rocked back and forth on his toes. “Please, please?”

Tony didn’t answer right away, so Peter started to worry. Was that not okay to ask?

“Sure, why not?” Tony said after a minute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe sorry for all the cliffhangers. I'm sure you'll be satisfied when Tony and Peter finally make it into the hottub next chapter. ;)


	11. Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter go for a dip in the hot tub.

Tony was glad to have Peter’s company. He usually confined himself to the lab so that all of the empty space wouldn’t swallow him up; he had too many rooms and possessions for one man. Most of the time it didn’t bother him, sometimes he even liked it, but every once in a while, loneliness crept in. He was human, after all.

He didn’t burden anyone with his emotions when he got lonely; most of the time, it was other people bringing up his relationship status to him. _You know, Tony. Maybe it’s time you settle down with someone?_ Tony knew that they were right, but who was he supposed to settle down with? His work came first, and he had to find someone he liked. People seemed to forget that part. They thought he could manifest a dream partner from nothing. Maybe because he did that with inventions, or maybe because he made everything else look so easy—if he wanted love, surely he could find it.

People called him selfish for not tying himself down to a spouse. _Can’t you put anyone before your work? Before your greed?_ Tony thought that that was exactly what made him selfless. He could admit that Stark Industries was his family. Why try to kid himself and someone else? He stayed lonely so that he wouldn’t ruin someone else’s life. Apparently, that wasn’t good enough.

Spending time with Peter Parker was distinctly different than courting the men and women who were usually interested in him. Socialites, wannabes, and businesspeople that thought they could be the ones to tame the great Tony Stark. The type of people who wanted the status and the money, but not the man or the mind behind it. Tony was okay with it, most of the time. He got what he wanted from them, and they got to live the life for a while. A fantastic example of a symbiotic relationship, if he ever saw it. Still, though, he’d never found anyone that he’d wanted for the long haul. He entertained the thought of Pepper. Bruce, too. He was a scientist and needed to at least consider all options and possibilities. He didn’t want Bruce or Pepper like that, as much he wished he could since on paper they seemed perfect for him. They were his friends.

He was around smart people all the time, but nobody had that spark he was looking for. Peter was just so goddamn unique. He was the full package. The perfect combination of smart and shy, polite and sassy, funny and serious…and that was just his personality. His body was another story. Tony wasn’t sure whether to attribute it to the boy’s age, or not, since had never gone this young before…but the more he thought about it, the more he thought it was just Peter.

Tony had been with so-called equals. He’d met men and women who were smarter than him. He’d had partners that hadn’t even gone to university. Experience taught him that nobody was perfect and resumes and birthdates didn’t much matter. Scientists were fun to work with, but they were always wrapped up in their heads. Powerful and ambitious people like Pepper were awesome to watch in action, and they looked good on the arm, but they were so on all the time, concerned with public opinion and constant progress—minus the fun. It was exhausting. Doctors, engineers, lawyers, and designers…Tony liked competition and talking shop, but no matter what, it always resulted in tension or jealousy. It didn’t matter, young or old, woman or man, brilliant or stupid…nothing ever worked out.

Meanwhile Peter was as likely to floor MIT with his brains as he was to build LEGOs with his best friend. He was as likely to call Tony Mr. Stark out of respect as he was to sass him back. He accepted gifts without freaking out about the price tag, but he could just as easily enjoy a conversation. His constant disposition was just Hi, happy to be here. Tony adored him. How easily he’d spoken with Jarvis. How comfortable he was in any environment, even if he was nervous to start. How he didn’t flaunt himself, but he didn’t hide either. He was just who he was. Peter was pure.

“Let me fix some drinks,” Tony suggested. “Then we can find some swim trunks.”

“Cool.” Peter grinned. So eager just for a dip in the tub. Tony would never get over how easy it was to make Peter happy.

“You cool with a little booze, Pete?” Tony asked over his shoulder as he led them back to the bar in the dining room.

“S-seriously? Mr. Stark? You’re gonna let me?”

“You have supervision.” Tony shrugged. “It’s only half a shot anyway, and then you’re cut off.”

Peter nodded. “Cool, thanks.”

Tony took his place behind the bar while Peter spun around on a stool.

“All right, take these,” Tony said, sliding the drinks over the bar toward Peter once they were ready. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Okay,” Peter agreed, scooping up the drinks and heading back to the hot tub.

Tony headed to his bedroom and walk-in closet.

“Jarvis, turn the jets on,” Tony sighed.

“Mr. Parker has already done so,” Jarvis explained.

Tony smirked. Peter was already at ease and knew enough to ask Jarvis without being told.

He selected a gold pair of trunks that came down mid-thigh for himself and grabbed a purple pair for Peter. Tony wondered if they’d be baggy on the kid. Peter was a couple inches shorter, and at least twenty pounds lighter. Still, he managed to fill out his clothes pretty well. Tony was tempted to pretend he didn’t have more than one pair of trunks, so Peter would have to swim in his boxers—or nothing—but it was unrealistic for a billionaire with an indoor hot tub to only have one of anything. And he didn’t want to be creepy.

Peter’s drink was already gone by the time Tony made his way back.

“Guzzle guts,” Tony teased.

“Sorry.” Peter blushed. “It was really good.”

Tony was more than pleased with the way Peter’s eyes raked up and down his body. _I still got it._

Tony shrugged. “No skin off my back. There’s a mini fridge around the corner over there. Should be something else for you.”

Peter nodded and took the suggestion without pause.

Tony sipped his drink, leaning against the edge of the jacuzzi with Peter’s trunks in hand while he watched the boy grab a bottle of water.

“So, uh,” Peter chuckled, “are those mine?” He gestured to the purple shorts in Tony’s hand.

“Oh yeah.” Tony looked down. “I guess you need them, huh.”

“I guess.” Peter ducked his head. “There a change room or something?

“Here, I’ll turn around.” Tony’s grin was wolfish before he toned it down.

Tony pressed a button on his watch to temporarily suspend security recording. He did not need to agonize over whether to watch it later or not. It was best to end it before it could begin.

He stared at the wall, listening to the rustle of material and the shuffle of Peter’s movements.

Finally, “Mr. Stark, I’m good.”

Tony allowed the security cameras to roll on and turned around.

Peter was a vision. Defined abs and a perfect circle of a belly button. The centre line of Peter’s chest ran from his neck to his hips. Tony’s go-to for describing hot guys was usually to compare them to the statue of David—as much as he hated clichés—but he found in this instance that the comparison wasn’t valid. Peter looked better.

Tony really tried for blasé, but Peter made it hard.

Peter didn’t wait for Tony’s body to catch up with his brain, and he climbed the steps into the hot tub.

“Ohhh my God,” Peter groaned. “This is awesome.”

Tony closed his eyes and inhaled before following.

* * *

“You work out, kid?” Tony asked, sipping his drink casually.

Peter sputtered. He sank lower into the water. If he was going to be talking about his body, he didn’t want it on display. He’d be overly conscious of every glance Mr. Stark’s eyes made. “I-I do. Yeah. Why—why do you ask, sir?”

Tony smirked. “No reason.”

“I run and box. I mean, I don’t have a ton of time for it with school and everything, but in the summer when I can get out, I sort of catch up on everything, and it carries me through the year.”

“Wow.” Tony shook his head, “To be young.”

Peter grinned sheepishly. “Well, you’re, you know.” Peter held up a hand toward Tony’s exposed chest. “You’re fit.”

Tony shrugged noncommittally. “Jarvis, play music from Pete’s phone.”

Peter retreated farther into the water. “You can access my phone?”

Tony almost looked guilty. “When you transferred your iPhone to my s-Glass, Jarvis kept the data.”

“Wow,” Peter whistled.

“I wasn’t going to snoop or anything,” Tony inclined his head toward Peter. “You know that, right?”

“Oh yeah.” Peter shrugged. “The upside and downside to tech are the same things. Everything sticks.”

Tony nodded.

“I’m sure you have security cameras, and like, if Jarvis, or whatever, is always with you. That’s a huge breach in privacy, so I bet not a lot of people know about it. It’s not like you can spend your entire day wrapped up in what he sees and hears, so you probably don’t even remember you have the access.” Peter leaned back. “I mean, you’re probably so used to it…what would you care about what I have on my phone anyway?”

Tony stared at Peter with an unreadable expression.

“The s-Glass, is that what you said? It's so cool that it's worth giving up privacy. Since it’s your tech, you’ll probably be able to access it whenever you want, so I’ll have to be careful. But it’s sick, Mr. Stark.”

“I can lock myself out,” Tony said quietly. “You can lock me out. I wrote that protocol into the phone in case anyone besides me ever used it.”

“Yeah, but if you made it, you could bypass that,” Peter guessed.

“True, but Jarvis wouldn’t let me live it down.” Tony grinned. “He’s not like other guys,” he joked.

“Thank you, sir,” Jarvis spoke over the music.

Tony and Peter laughed together.

Tony continued. “The first time people meet J, they usually hate it.”

Peter frowned in confusion.

“The first thing they say is that I’m gonna use him to spy. Even worse than that is when people don’t understand what he is. Jarvis scares them.”

Peter listened.

“I do believe, Mr. Parker, you’re the first person to ever introduce yourself to him.”

Peter was all for Mr. Stark complimenting him. It’s all he wanted. Tony’s approval was everything.

“You really are something else, Peter,” Tony said quietly. He didn’t meet Peter’s eyes.

“You too, Mr. Stark,” Peter returned the compliment. He pulled himself up from the depths of the jacuzzi to sit up properly. He reached for his water bottle to distract himself from staring at Tony.

When Tony didn’t say anything more, Peter decided to speak. “I’m sorry for not texting you when you were in India… I don’t even know if you noticed,” Peter said to himself more than Tony, “but I just…Well, you know, we’ve pretty much been talking everyday? So I don’t know if it bothered you. I guess I just wanted to leave you alone because you’re always taking time to hang out with me, and you really don’t have to,” he babbled. “I just thought, maybe you felt like you had to text back or something? I don’t know if that makes sense, but I loved the gift you sent, and I did want to thank you.”

Tony quirked his lips. “I didn’t text you, either.”

“Well.” Peter bit his bottom lip. “Yeah, but that’s different. You’re important.”

“It’s not different,” Tony disagreed.

Peter shrugged.

“You have a life and friends outside of this, Peter. Me texting you doesn’t make a difference.”

Peter sighed, “It really does, though.” Peter wondered if Tony was really as smart as he acted. How could he not see how much he meant? Peter couldn’t imagine what his life would look like without Tony Stark. They’d only known each other for a month and a half, but they’d easily been the best six weeks of Peter’s life.

“The scholarship’s still yours whether we have a relationship or not.” Tony sipped his drink. “You’re allowed to say no. I don’t usually have people say no to me, so I’m not particularly well versed on the whole thing, but theoretically, you could say no.”

“W-What do you mean?” Peter frowned. He didn’t really get what Tony was saying. Relationship?

“I’m insinuating myself in your life, obviously.” Tony looked at Peter pointedly. “Not texting you was my way of giving you an out.”

Peter frowned. That’s why Mr. Stark hadn’t texted him? Because he felt like he was forcing a relationship? Tony actually thought that Peter was only hanging out with him because he wanted to keep the scholarship? In what world?

“Are you crazy?” Peter scoffed. “I like the way things are.”

“Then it’s settled.” Tony held up his drink.

“You know, Mr. Stark.” Peter rested his hand on top of the bubbling water. He looked up at the man from under his eyelashes. “You can talk to me about stuff, too. I know you’re supposed to be the adult, but we’re friends, right? I don’t feel like I have to hang out with you because of the scholarship, and I hope”—Peter exhaled and shook his head before continuing in almost a whisper—“I hope you don’t think you have to hang out with me because you feel sorry for me.”

Tony downed the rest of his drink. “I appreciate it, kid.”

Peter shrugged.

“For the record, I don’t feel sorry for you. Why would I? You got it made in the shade.”

“Yeah,” Peter scoffed. “Okay.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “So dramatic. 'Poor me. My life’s so hard, and I’m so terrible.' Just admit you know you’re cute.”

Peter held his breath. Maybe he should change the subject before he started swooning. Mr. Stark thinking he was cute needed to be filed away for future examination; he was too naked and too close to Tony to think more about it.

“Hey, wanna see how long I can hold my breath for?” Peter grinned.

“Not particularly.” Tony furrowed his brows.

Peter rolled his eyes. “I bet I can do at least a minute.”

“Oh God, I’m going to have to get Jarvis to pull up a how-to on CPR.”

Peter laughed. “Okay, I need you to keep me under, though. I don’t have anything to anchor myself.

Tony raised his eyebrows.

Peter threw himself under the water before Tony could protest anymore.

Peter opted to lie flat across the surface of the water, keeping his face under the entire time. He could hear Tony's voice above the water.

“J, you got a timer going?”

Peter tried to zone out and just drift. He'd needed this respite underwater. Tony was killing him with all of his suggestiveness and flirty-ness. _Relationship?_

Peter came up with a gasp.

“How long? How long?” Peter wondered.

“Seventy-two seconds.” Tony showed Peter the watch.

“Awesome.” Peter grinned, shaking his hair out. He had felt Mr. Stark’s hand on his head, but it had been gone as soon as it’d been placed there.

“We’re not doing that again.” Tony frowned.

“Oh come on,” Peter splashed Tony. “Live a little, Mr. Stark.”

Tony splashed Peter back. “This isn’t a pool, Parker. This is glorified bathtub, and there’s no horseplay allowed.”

Peter cackled, “Horseplay? Who says that? Oh my God.” He splashed Tony again.

Tony cracked a smile. He got up from his seat and lunged for Peter.

Peter wriggled out of Tony’s grasp, trying to swim across the hot tub to evade him. The hot tub was at least a 15-seater, so there was room to spread out.

Tony swam after Peter. “Not so fast, Parker.” He came at him from behind, wrapping his arms around the boy.

Peter used his feet to propel himself backwards, effectively pushing Tony against the edge of the jacuzzi. Tony didn’t let go, so he ended up flush against the man. Tony’s knees buckled and he fell into a seat, pulling Peter with him.

Peter was sitting on Tony’s lap, and Tony had his arms wrapped around him. Peter didn’t dare move.

Suddenly the water felt like it was boiling. He was waiting for Tony to push him forward, or slide away from under him, but neither courses of action were attempted.

Tony still wasn’t letting go.

Peter didn’t try to escape.

Peter didn’t know what to do. If he was flirty and forward, he might’ve turned around to capitalize on the moment. He would’ve kissed Tony with no fear for the consequences. If he was shy, he would’ve wriggled away to the safety of the opposite edge. Peter didn’t know what he was because he’d never experienced anything like this before. He hadn’t kissed anyone. He hadn’t had a fling or even a charged moment. He had no point of reference for how he was supposed to react. All he could manage to do was wait for Tony to decide what would happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I hyped this chapter up, I said it was going to be satisfying to read about the boys in the hot tub, and then while editing, I realized I cut if off with another cliff hanger. So maybe it won't be that satisfying. Lol oops.


	12. Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter get a little closer.

After Tony said what he said about insinuating himself in Peter’s life, he had to force himself not to cringe at how obvious he was being. He might as well have asked Peter to marry him for how much he’d revealed about his affections. He’d used the word _relationship_ , and then Peter had said, “we’re friends,” and Tony was thinking he should be confused and disappointed about that, but then the kid was sitting in his lap. Not moving. And there was nothing confusing about that.

Peter was relying on him to take the lead. For someone so young and experienced, Peter was awfully adept in the art of teasing. Tony would’ve bet any money that the kid hadn’t intended for this to happen—he’d just been playing around. He was like a dog chasing cars, and now that he’d caught one he realized he had no idea how to drive. Tony thought it would have been rude of him not to help the kid out…

He pulled Peter closer with more intention, and he would’ve killed to see the emotions playing out on the boy’s face. Peter’s body fit nicely against Tony’s own. He was small enough that Tony could’ve slotted his chin in between his neck and shoulder, but he didn’t. Instead, Tony just leaned his forehead against the back of Peter’s neck and kept his arms wrapped around him.

Peter hesitantly brought his hands to rest over Tony’s at his waist.

Tony wondered if Peter was going to pull his hands apart and swim away. End things before they even really began. He was relieved when Peter didn’t. Peter relaxed more with each passing second, and he was all but weightless on Tony’s lap. For his part, Tony didn’t try to break the silence or ask Peter any questions. He just wanted to enjoy the moment.

Tony pressed his lips to the top of Peter’s spine. The boy stopped breathing for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. Tony did it again, and Peter let his head fall forward. Tony kissed his shoulder before loosening his grip around him. Peter started to float away, so Tony grabbed his hand to keep him from going too far.

Peter maneuvered his legs through the water so that he could turn and face Tony. He went back to the man’s lap, facing him this time, and then he straddled Tony’s thighs.

Tony tilted his head up and parted his lips to show Peter that it could go somewhere.

Peter gulped and worried his lip before finally moving his face forward to connect with Tony’s.

Tony could feel weight lifting off his shoulders when his lips met Peter’s. There was nothing better than the satisfaction of being wanted by someone you needed. He tried to stay calm and take it easy on Peter because he knew the boy was inexperienced and didn't want to overwhelm him.

* * *

After a moment, Peter brought his arms up to wrap them around Tony’s neck. Tony had his hands settled on his hips, and Peter was grateful because his firm grip kept him from floating away.

Peter did everything he could to get closer to Tony and stay that way. That involved pressing a ton of kisses to Tony’s lips without giving them much of a chance to connect or actually make out. The thought of using his tongue intimidated him, not because he didn’t want to do it, but because he didn’t want to do it poorly or move too fast in case Tony didn’t want that.

Peter wished he knew how to kiss better. He knew he was ruining everything with his inexperience, but Tony wasn’t pulling away. Still, Peter didn’t know what to do to make it better, so he decided to stop trying to mash his lips against Tony’s face and let Tony control the situation. He stilled and parted his lips, waiting for Tony to just do something already.

Tony pulled back to look at him when he stopped with his overzealous pecking, and Peter was nervous that Tony was going to call it, but the man just smiled at him and then went in for it.

Peter hummed from his throat when Tony finally took charge. The man slid his tongue into Peter’s mouth slowly, licking around the inner skin of his lips before even attempting to go deeper.

Peter wasn’t sure what to do with his own tongue. He knew he could touch it to Tony’s, but that seemed way beyond his level. He knew he could just let it sit there, but that seemed weird. He settled for just moving it out of the way whenever Tony decided to lick that particular spot.

“Mmm, you’re killing me, kid.” Tony pulled his tongue out so he could speak. He rested his forehead against Peter’s.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Stark.” Peter felt weird to use his voice. It made it seem so real. Like he wasn’t actually present in the moment until he used his voice.

“No, no,” Tony sighed. “Not in a bad way.”

“What?” Peter tried.

“You’re…wow,” Tony ground out. He didn’t let Peter speak again. He kissed him again.

Peter had no idea what Tony was talking about, but the man wasn’t upset, so that was a good sign?

Now that he knew Tony liked what he was doing, he felt more confident to try some more things. Instead of letting Tony’s tongue chase his away, he allowed himself to connect with him. It felt strange to taste another tongue. It was hot and spongy, and squirmy, but Peter wasn’t deterred. He felt himself getting hard in Mr. Stark’s swim trunks. The water kept trying to push him away from Mr. Stark instead of closer, and it was infuriating.

Peter let himself push his tongue past his own lips into Tony’s mouth. He almost cried out—it was the most intimate and sexual thing he’d ever done, and it was amazing, and it was with Tony Stark, and he never wanted it to end.

“Oh my God,” Peter panted against Tony’s mouth. “God, Mr. Stark. This is. This is so much. I. I don't—I’m going crazy.”

Peter could swear that Tony looked offended when he pulled away.

“I’m. I uh… I don’t know,” Peter babbled. He reached his hand down to adjust his swim trunks.

“You don’t know what?” Tony asked calmly.

_How the hell is he so calm. I’m dying._

“Well, I’m sort of…” Peter trailed off.

“Hard?” Tony supplied.

“Yeah.” Peter nodded. “Yeah. That.”

Tony regarded Peter curiously. “Is that supposed to be a problem?”

“Well, I don’t know.” Peter blushed. “I…You gotta give me something, here, Mr. Stark. I’m losing my freaking mind.”

Tony smirked. “I could give you a lot of things, Mr. Parker. Make up your mind on what you’re willing to take.”

Peter found the proper sequence of commands within his brain to get himself off Tony’s lap. He wanted to go further. He was more than game. He just didn’t know what he was supposed to do. All he had to go off were movies where the two love interests would kiss and pull apart. _We shouldn’t._ Peter wasn’t sure if that was applicable to real life or if people just went zero to one hundred without stopping.

Peter didn’t know where he stood with Mr. Stark either. Obviously the man was beyond experienced. It would probably be nothing for him to just fuck in the hot tub. Peter needed time to get used to the fact that he’d just had his first kiss before he could even graduate to dick stuff. _Oh god. Mr. Stark’s dick._

“Maybe we could take a break for now?” Peter squeaked. “Maybe eat something? If that’s okay.”

Tony smiled fondly. “Absolutely.”

Peter nodded, looking away.

“Hey, kid. Come here,” Tony said lightly. He got up from his seat to stand up with Peter. He pulled the boy in for a wet hug.

Peter let Tony hug him. The problem with being so close to Mr. Stark was that he never wanted to let go. He could feel how hard he still was, and it felt so good to be up against Tony’s body. Peter tried not to think about it. He wasn’t sure if Tony was hard or not. He was glad he didn’t know, though. His mind probably would’ve exploded.

Tony pulled back so that he could look at Peter, then kissed him on the lips with a closed mouth before grabbing his hand and leading him out of the hot tub.

Peter loved it when Tony looked at him, and he loved it when he kissed him, and he loved it when he touched him. He loved everything about him, and it was amazing to feel that way but also terrifying.

He was glad to get out of the water. His skin was starting to prune, and he felt like his body was on fire.

Mr. Stark disappeared for a moment to grab towels.

Tony wrapped a towel around himself, and then he wrapped Peter’s around him.

Peter wanted to keep kissing Tony, but he didn’t know if he’d be able to stay standing. His buoyancy in the water had been a blessing that he hadn’t appreciated. Peter didn’t know what to say as he followed Tony out of the gym and back into the hall. He just watched Tony’s hot, wet footprints appear and evaporate on the floors. Peter wasn’t sure if he should be embarrassed or smug that he was still rock hard. He weighed the pros and cons of disappearing to the bathroom to take care of it. What if Mr. Stark wanted to do that though?

“Bathroom’s here, kid.” Tony broke the silence.

Peter hadn’t even been paying attention to where they’d gone, but he was grateful that he hadn’t needed to ask to be directed to the bathroom.

“You can shower off. Grab a new towel. Everything’s in there,” Tony explained. “I’ll leave a change of clothes outside the door.”

“Thanks, Mr. Stark.” Peter nodded. He tried to angle himself and the towel to conceal his lower half. He wondered if Tony was convinced.

Peter’s entire body tingled when he saw Tony glance down and smirk. He felt like he could read the man’s mind. Peter knew if he asked Tony to come into the bathroom with him, he would. He knew that Tony wanted to go further; he could feel the desire coming off the man. It didn’t help that Tony was half naked. Both of them were. Peter was getting dizzy. All he wanted to do was reach out and touch. He couldn’t even think of a single reason not to. What if Mr. Stark didn’t let him this close again? What if this was his only chance? But he just wasn’t quite ready.

“Peter,” Tony said, “Stop thinking.”

Peter nodded dumbly.

“We don’t have to hit all the bases in one night.” Tony grinned.

Peter nodded again. His dick was really starting to throb.

“It’s not over, okay?”

Peter rushed forward to hug Tony again which was a bad idea. Direct contact. _Ahhhh. Nope. Better stop._

Peter was half braindead he was so horny. He pressed his open mouth to Tony’s chest with no purpose other than to just do it.

“I swear to God,” Tony hissed. “Please just get in the bathroom before you hurt yourself.”

Peter let Tony push him into the room and close the door. Even just the few feet and the door between them was enough to restore some brain function. Peter practically ripped off Tony’s shorts so that he could access his dick. _Oh God. Oh God. Oh God._

He barely made it to the shower in time. He put his left arm against the tile and rested his head on it, then gripped his length with his right hand. He bit his forearm and groaned as quietly as he could manage while he painted the wall of Tony’s shower with his release.

* * *

Tony tried not to listen at the door after Peter went in, but he was unsuccessful. He hadn’t needed Jarvis to increase audio register within the bathroom to hear Peter lose it. The kid was loud enough on his own.

Tony palmed himself, gritting his teeth all the way to his own ensuite. _Great minds think alike,_ he thought while he removed his own pair of trunks.

Tony made quick work of his shower. He wanted to redress quickly so he could get Peter’s clothes ready before the boy left the bathroom. As tempted as he was to let Peter roam around the place in only a towel, Tony didn’t. He didn’t want to rush anything since he could sense that Peter wasn’t quite ready to go further. The kid was horny and not thinking clearly, and Tony wasn’t going to push, although it was tempting.

He selected a casual jogging suit for himself. Finding an outfit for Peter was slightly more difficult because he was a couple sizes smaller. Tony chose a pair of jeans he knew were too tight for him, and a Flock of Seagulls t-shirt. Tony had boxers and boxer-briefs, but he figured Peter would appreciate boxers more. He was facing decisions left and right even with such a simple task. Should he give Peter a pair with the tag still on or one that’d he’d previously worn? Ankle socks or regular socks? A hoodie or a cardigan? _Just pick something._

Tony rolled his eyes and chose. It didn’t matter. _Yes, it does. He’s gonna keep these._

Tony deposited the pile of clothes outside the bathroom door and went to the bar to fix himself another drink. He smiled to himself when he heard the Peter open the door and shut it. He could imagine the kid looking around to make the coast was clear before coming out.

Tony busied himself with wiping the already immaculate bar. He didn’t want to be standing there like a moron when Peter finally came over.

“Hey, Mr. Stark,” Peter said quietly.

Tony turned around to admire his handiwork. The jeans were as baggy on Peter as the ones he usually wore, and the t-shirt fit perfectly. The satin Gucci bomber jacket he’d left with the clothes looked like it belonged on Peter’s small frame.

“Exquisite.” Tony nodded appreciatively.

“Thank you, the clothes are great.” Peter nodded.

“So here are the options for dinner.” Tony changed the subject. “We can order in, but I don’t like strangers coming up here, so we’d have to go down to get it which is annoying. I could call in the sous chef at _DANIEL_ to whip us up something in the kitchen, or we can go out.”

Peter swallowed before answering. “I’d rather go out, if that’s okay.”

“Sure, kid,” Tony agreed, glancing down at his jogging suit. He didn’t feel like changing into appropriate attire for a fancy restaurant. He’d wrongly assumed that the kid would want to stay in. Peter Parker seemed like a homebody.

_Maybe I read that wrong._

“I’m surprised you want to go out,” Tony commented, walking out from behind the bar.

“Oh, I—” Peter laughed nervously and scratched his head.

Tony could see that Peter’s hair was still damp for the most part. He could drive with the top down. He bet Peter’s hair would look great windswept.

“I don’t know,” Peter continued. “I just like going places with you.”

Tony nodded. _I can work with that._

“Okay, skippy.” Tony clapped his hands together. “Where to?”

“Do we have to pick somewhere private?” Peter wondered. “Or, like. Do you mind being seen together?”

“Why would I mind?”

“Well, ‘cause people might get the wrong idea?”

This again. Peter worrying about what other people thought of their relationship. Tony couldn't care less about what kind of ideas people had. He wanted to spend time with Peter, so he was going to. There was no other explanation needed. People could think what they wanted.

“I have a word for people who have wrong ideas,” Tony said.

“What?”

“Idiots.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yayyy they finally made out!! :)) 
> 
> Hope everybody's having a great day!! xx


	13. Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter go out to dinner again. Starbucks and some more miscommunication for dessert!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to itfeelssogoodmrstark for the AMAZING fanart in this chapter. xoxoxo

Peter was grateful when the clothes Tony had promised to leave him were already waiting for him outside the door by the time he finished his shower. He noticed that Mr. Stark had given him a brand new pair of purple boxers and guessed Tony might’ve been fond of purple on him. That was a nice thought.

Peter almost fainted when he unfolded the jacket and realized it was Gucci. He prayed that he could keep this stuff. The thought of showing up to school in the jacket, just smirking knowingly when people asked him where he got it excited him. It was funny how the thought of being teased about being with Mr. Stark wasn’t so painful now that it was more than one of Flash’s jokes. He kind of was with Mr. Stark? Sort of.

He was nervous as he made his way to Tony at the bar, but he sucked it up and didn’t let it show.

The man looked good—as usual. Peter had never seen Tony in a jogging suit before. He’d seen him wear sneakers with his suits, and he’d seen the man wear jeans. Never something so casual. Peter was jealous that Tony could look fancy in street clothes. He took a long look at Tony’s back while he busied himself behind the bar before announcing his presence. _Hey, Mr. Stark._

They were simple words compared to what Peter really wanted to say. He was dying to ask Tony what it all meant. The kissing, the assurance that they could pick up where they left off at another time. Then Tony invited him to dinner, and he wondered what that meant too. Was it a date, or another polite offering from Tony as a host to Peter as a guest. It was so confusing!

When Tony asked him where he wanted to eat, all Peter could think was that he liked the idea of being seen on Tony’s arm. Just like he liked the idea of Tony praising him in front of the entire school and just like he liked the idea of wearing Tony’s clothes. Somewhere along the way, he’d begun not wanting to hide or keep things a secret.

That being said, he had no idea where this thing between them was going, or if it was even a thing, and he also didn’t know if Tony was on the same page about flaunting their…relationship(?) or if he wanted to keep things inconspicuous, so Peter decided to ask. _Do you mind being seen together?_

Tony didn’t seem upset by the idea of going out in public together, but he also hadn’t corrected Peter when he said it might give people the wrong idea. Peter had been hoping Tony would have said anyone who thought they were together had the right idea, but instead, he had said anyone who had the wrong idea was an idiot. Peter hoped that didn’t include him, but he thought it was probably a good sign that Tony wasn’t opposed to going out. Still, he wasn’t sure if that was the green light to start fantasizing about being boyfriends, or if it was just Tony not caring about what people thought in general. After all, they’d been out to dinner before.

_But now it’s different. We kissed._

Peter wanted to enjoy it for as long as possible, and as much as he was becoming partial to the idea of showing Tony off, what was really important to him was Tony himself. He was just so much fun to spend time with; he was sweet to the wait staff and never complained about obviously disgusting food. He was so confident that it was contagious, not to mention intelligent, beautiful, funny, and charming. Peter felt like he could do anything when he was with Mr. Stark. So, he was willing to do what he needed to do to make sure he could spend as much time with the man as possible.

“Okay.” Peter settled for moving the conversation in a different direction. He didn’t want to demand that Mr. Stark define their relationship right this second. He didn’t think Tony would like that. “Well where can we go dressed like this?”

“Anywhere I want,” Tony replied.

Peter grinned. That sounded about right. Mr. Stark was exempt from dress codes. It came with the territory.

Peter followed Tony into the elevator again after the man had grabbed his wallet. Peter also made sure to scoop up his backpack that he’d left beside the elevator and bring it along since he wasn’t sure if they’d be coming back.

It was a long way down to the basement level, and Peter was excited to see all of Tony’s cars again. Tony kept them underground in a separate area from the employee parking garage.

Peter kept stealing glances at Tony as they descended. Tony’s expression was unreadable which was unfortunate because Peter wanted to know if Tony was upset that they didn’t go further, or if he was pissed that the kiss had happened at all. He didn’t think so. One of the first things Tony had ever told him was, _I don’t do anything I don’t want to_ , so he tried to hold onto that and let it boost his confidence.

He attempted to be nonchalant while he stepped closer into Tony’s space. He was all too aware of the mirrored door that was reflecting everything he did back to him. He looked even more embarrassed than he felt. So much for trying to keep his confidence up.

Peter stared straight ahead. He met Tony’s eyes in the mirror before reaching for his hand. Peter barely concealed a whimper of relief when Tony accepted the gesture. The man’s fingers curled around his own with no hesitation. It was weird how holding hands with Tony Stark felt more serious and intimate than making out with him.

After he did that, he felt a little better. It helped that Tony’s expression changed from unreadable to pleased.

“When’s May expecting you back?” Tony asked once they were in the car. Peter really liked this one. A black Acura convertible. He enjoyed the feeling of wind blowing through his hair.

“12 since it’s a Saturday,” Peter said.

“Remind me to send her flowers.” Tony grinned.

* * *

“We’re eating at DANIEL?” Peter only noticed the restaurant’s name when Tony drove the car up to the valet. He’d been a little distracted focusing on Tony’s face for the entire ride…“You said you were going to get him to come to your place, right?”

Peter looked around. “Don’t you need reservations or something for a place like this?”

“Are you sure we’re not underdressed?” Peter pulled at his Gucci self consciously when Tony didn’t answer him. He thought Gucci would have been fancy enough, but he was new at this.

“Hi, let me introduce myself,” Tony drawled, “I’m Tony Stark.”

Peter laughed, “What’s my excuse?”

“You’re with me,” Tony said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

_I’m with him._

Once again, Peter found himself at the back of an exclusive restaurant, nestled in the corner like they’d gotten lucky with the seating. Meanwhile he’d seen Tony slip the host several bills. The owner even came to their table personally, and Tony offered up tickets to some event that Peter hadn’t even heard of, and then there was a bottle of champagne on the table like magic. Favours were currency.

“Who is this young man?” the owner asked.

Peter’s eyes flashed to Tony. What would he say?

“Dan, this is my new protégé, Peter.”

“Good to meet you,” the man offered. “Let my staff know if you require anything. I hope you will enjoy the food.”

Peter had never heard a French accent in person before. It was lovely.

“Thank you, sir.” Peter nodded.

Peter froze when Tony’s foot nudged his under the table. “So polite, Mr. Parker. I can take you anywhere.”

Peter beamed at the praise.

“Oh, before I forget. Next Saturday is my birthday party. I’d like you to come.”

Peter locked his jaw before it could drop onto the table. “You want me to come to that? I can—I can go?”

“Unless you have other plans?” Tony sipped his drink. “By all means.”

“No, no. Mr. Stark. I’d love to! What do you want? For your birthday? Like, what sort of gifts?”

“People usually donate to charities in my name, or they bring a bottle. It’s not like an actual birthday party.”

“I’m not stupid,” Peter retorted.

Tony raised his eyebrows.

“I mean on like a personal level, or whatever. Do you have your eye on some new Tom Ford tie, or some retro shades? Or what about a book. Do you like to read? I saw your library, but I don’t think the books in there are actually for reading. So, hit me. What’s something you want that’s not like a million dollars?”

“Just come,” Tony replied.

Peter didn’t press the issue, but he was already thinking of ideas. He didn’t have a ton of money to spend, but he knew Mr. Stark didn’t care about that. Tony knew where Peter came from—it wasn’t a secret that he wasn’t rich. Peter remembered the doodles Tony had taken from his room when they were still strangers. He also remembered the glasses that Tony had finagled under the pretense of a trade, and was willing to bet that Tony had a thing for quirky little things that were one of a kind. Peter could work with that.

“Okay, Mr. Stark,” Peter acquiesced.

Tony winked. “I’ll text you the invite. They went out before I knew you, so.”

Peter nodded.

“There’s probably no need, though.” Tony leaned forward in his seat. “I’ll send Happy to go and get you, and he’ll know the address.”

“I still want it,” Peter admitted. “For a keepsake, you know?”

“All right.” Tony shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal.

Peter could see the quirk of Tony’s lips though. Apparently, they both had a penchant for romantic gestures. Peter counted this as a very good thing because it meant he might be able to become more to Mr. Stark than just a protégé who he kissed and ate with sometimes.

Peter spent most of the night trying not to stare at Tony. Watching him eat was enough to remind him of what else that mouth could do. Peter took special notice of the way Tony filled out his casual ensemble. He’d known that the man was fit before seeing him in a bathing suit, but now that he knew what that looked like, it seemed sinful that Tony should even have clothes.

“Whatcha thinking about?” Tony asked slyly.

Peter’s brain came back online just in time for him to realize he’d been staring blankly at Tony for long enough to be noticeable.

“Oh, heh, you know.”

“I bet I do.” Tony nodded.

“Mr. Stark—”

“Kid—”

“Sorry,” Peter blurted. “You go.”

Tony didn’t object. “You gotta tell me what’s on your mind.”

Peter thought of what he could say. _I want to be your boyfriend. When can we do more? Am I your date to the birthday party or just a guest?_

“I’ve never done this before,” Peter started. “I’m no good at playing it cool, you know? Or knowing what to do. What moves to make. I just…I don’t want you think that I’m just some kid tagging along with you. I mean, I sort of am, but…do you get what I’m trying to say?

Tony ran a hand along his jaw while he listened. “Is this about my age?”

Peter laughed. “That might be oversimplifying things, but yeah. Sort of.”

“Simple’s good,” Tony offered.

Peter nodded once. That was apparently the end of the conversation, and it wasn’t very encouraging.

Then Tony glanced around and said, “Let’s finish up here, and we can talk more in the car,” and Peter was back in the game.

* * *

“Okay, lay it on me again,” Tony said once he and Peter were driving away from the restaurant.

“I’m only 17, Mr. Stark. I’ve never…kissed anybody before. I don’t. Okay, look. You’re Tony Stark. You’ve had tons of girlfriends. Boyfriends. People. I mean, to someone like you, I probably look like an idiot. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. Are you sure that this is even something you want to do? You could have anybody.”

Tony chewed his lip before answering.

“’I don’t know what I’m doing’? You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Tony teased.

“Usually it's a good thing to have experience,” Peter elaborated. “Like you.”

Tony glanced at Peter, his lips curved down. “Because I’ve had all these partners, right? Apparently.”

“No,” Peter argued. “I don't know. I'm just saying—”

Tony interrupted Peter. “Really, that’s just a reputation because I spend a lot of time with a lot of people. Not that I need to explain it, but maybe I will,” Tony paused. “Being seen with attractive people and actually fucking them are two different things, kid.”

Peter fidgeted. He felt guilty for making assumptions. He’d already fucked up and insulted Tony.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way,” Peter tried. "Even if that wasn't your reputation, you're still older than me.”

“It’s fine.” Tony shrugged. He exhaled and then his face softened. “Look, what I’m trying to get at, is you need to quit worrying. I kissed you because I wanted to. I plan on it happening again because I’m a serious glutton. Sue me. It doesn’t matter to me that you don’t know what you’re doing. What do you think I’m here for?”

Peter tried to halt his smile from spreading across his face, but he was unsuccessful.

“So we can kiss again?” Peter asked quietly.

“Hell yeah.” Tony nodded. “I meant what I said earlier. Now let’s get you back home early so that I can stay in May’s good graces.”

“Oh, about that,” Peter choked. “She kind of already suspects something might be going on, so I don’t know exactly how good her graces are right now...”

“Interesting.”

“She kind of asked me if I liked you when we went shopping for my suit? The day we went to Per Se?”

Tony chuckled. “You liking me doesn’t implicate me, though.”

_Ouch._

“Well, when you sent the suit,” Peter suggested. “Plus, I told her about the lunches?” Peter had no idea why he was saying any of this. Why couldn’t he leave well enough alone and stop pressing and hinting and trying to bait Tony into explaining everything? And why couldn’t Tony be more clear, so he wouldn’t have to?

Tony’s face was serious, and Peter was nervous he was mad. He felt stupid for even mentioning May.

“What’s she going to say when you tell her about what happened today?”

“I don’t have to, Mr. Stark. I can just say that it was me with the crush. That I misread things. I don’t have to tell her anything.”

Tony shook his head. “No, that’s not what I’m getting at. What will she say when she finds out?”

Peter breathed, “I, well. I don’t think she’ll be thrilled. I mean, she kind of seemed excited when I said you invited me over. At the end of the day, it’s really important to her that I’m happy. I wouldn’t expect her to be sending you a thank you card or something, but she’s not going to be sending you hate mail either. If that makes sense.”

Tony nodded. “All right.”

“Seriously, though. I don’t have to tell her anything changed,” Peter insisted. “If you want me to not say anything, just tell me. I swear I won’t tell.”

Peter didn’t want to lose this. What if Tony hadn’t wanted it to be anything serious? What if he ended it?

“Jesus, Peter. I’m not so ashamed of myself that I need to keep everything quiet like some sort of pervert.”

“No, no.” Peter held out his hands in front of him. “That’s not how I meant it at all. God, everything’s coming out wrong,” he cried in frustration. “No, you’re a businessman. You can’t have scandals. Yeah, we’re legally allowed to do stuff, but socially, it’s sort of unacceptable. I feel so lucky that you would even consider risking anything for my benefit. And if you don’t want us to be serious, which I could understand, I don’t want anyone to know and make a big deal. Really, Mr. Stark. I just want to make sure you’re safe. If that means I just pretend nothing’s going on, I totally would.”

Tony didn’t answer, and Peter was panicking. He wondered if Tony was going to kick him out of the car or something when the man pulled off the road and into a Starbucks parking lot. Tony exited the car and Peter was too scared to even move. Tony walked around to Peter’s side to open the door for him. “Come on, kid.” He grabbed Peter’s hand and pulled him out.

“What are you doing?” Peter wondered.

Tony answered by grabbing Peter’s face and kissing him. It was different now that they were out of the water. Peter wasn’t going to float away. He could push himself closer to Tony easily.

Tony pressed his body against Peter’s until he was backed right up against the car.

Peter had no idea what was going on.

“Peter.” Tony pulled back. “You’re not my dirty little secret.”

Peter stared at Tony while he spoke.

“I’m not playing games, here. Okay? You can tell anybody anything you want. I don’t need you to worry about keeping me safe. I don’t need you to pretend nothing’s happening or lie for me. Especially not to May. You don’t need to wonder what this is, and you don’t need to be so nervous. Just let me do the thinking.”

Peter nodded meekly. “Okay. Yeah, Mr. Stark. Good.” Maybe he was going crazy, but he still wondered what “this” was because Tony still hadn’t defined jackshit. He let it go, though because this was something. Tony wasn’t ashamed of him or what they had done, and that was all he needed to know for now.

Tony grinned. “Besides, I think it’s cute that you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s sweet.”

Peter blushed. “Seriously? I would be annoyed if I were you.”

“Just keep doing what you’re doing,” Tony added, pulling away from Peter. “Trust me, it’s working.”

Peter sighed. _Wow._

Tony was still looking at him as if he was waiting for him to say more. Peter figured it would have been the perfect time to flat out ask, “Are we boyfriends?” but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“Can I have a Frappuccino?” Peter finally said, gesturing to the Starbucks. “Since we’re here.”

* * *

* * *

Tony was thoughtful while he drove Peter back to Queens. The boy was sipping his drink quietly looking pleased as punch. If there was one thing he liked about having Peter around, it was how easy and light he made everything. He hadn’t asked for his drink and then awkwardly offered to get his wallet out. He hadn’t agonized over what size or flavour of drink to get. He hadn’t chastised Tony’s caffeine intake when he ordered a drink with five extra shots of espresso. 

As fun as Peter was, though, it seemed there was a bit more going on under the exterior. Tony was shaken by how eagerly he had offered to keep everything secret and reduce himself to a secret fling. He was always thinking of Peter as a very go-with-the-flow type kid, and he was to a certain extent, judging by his speech about not saying anything if that’s what Tony wanted him to do, but it seemed that Peter didn’t care if being easy-going came at the expense of his own happiness. He was still too wrapped up in what other people thought and wanted and trying to act accordingly. Tony wished Peter could see that it wasn’t necessary for him to be so nervous, or to doubt the feelings he had for him. He also wished Peter would start putting himself first, start doing what he wanted and saying what he thought.

Tony didn’t see how he could be clearer about how much Peter meant to him. Even Aunt May had seen the suit and the dinner for what they were, but Peter kept misunderstanding and taking things the wrong way and doubting. Tony hadn’t been asking what May was going to say because he didn’t want her to know; he had been asking because he wanted to know how she would take it, if he should prepare not to see Peter for a while, or if she would be relaxed enough to still let them spend time together. 

Tony didn’t feel like he needed to spell everything out for Peter, and he didn’t want to lay everything on the line with words and labels because that made things messy. _I want you to be my boyfriend_ sounded dumb. _You mean a lot to me, and I want to tell everyone_ wasn’t any better. He preferred showing his affection through action. Gifts and outings were his signature. To make Peter feel better, though, he had gone full dramatics in the Starbucks parking lot. It wasn’t like he hadn’t done it before at Peter’s high school, but now they were alone and the stakes were higher. They were together. It was worth being embarrassingly grandiose now that he and Peter were on the same page, though. It was all sorted out.

“Everything all right?” Peter asked.

“Yeah, kid. Why what’s up?”

Peter shrugged. “You look sad.”

Tony bristled. “Do not.”

“It’s cool. You don’t have to say.”

Tony knew he didn’t, but it was nice to be given an out. Because how to explain that he was sad because he felt guilty for causing Peter so much stress just because he was selfish and wanted him around. Peter would have argued that the stress was worth it, or something silly, and Tony wasn’t sure about that. Certainly Peter could find someone better. Tony didn’t want him to, though. He wanted Peter to want him. Was that wrong?

“Today was super fun,” Peter continued. “I forgot to mention, but I actually left some of my formula out in your lab. It’s not going to be ready until tomorrow, but you can just toss it. I was only fooling around.”

“Okay.”

“Thanks for the phone and dinner, and everything,” Peter spoke again. “I don’t know if I should say this, but it really means a lot that you…Yeah, never mind. You get it.”

Tony glanced at Peter briefly before returning his gaze to the road. “You’re welcome.” 

Tony was at a loss for what more he could have said; Peter was twisting everything again. As if Tony wasn’t grateful that a bright kid with his whole life ahead of him chose to spend his days with an old man. Tony could guess what the allure of luxury and money felt like to those who never had it. Obviously he knew that it was part of his charm, but he also knew that he needed it to compensate for how much of a handful he was. His endless hours in the workshop, his constant travelling, his habit of turning everything into a joke, and his difficulty expressing his feelings.

With Peter, Tony felt like the money wasn't compensating for anything because the boy didn't act like his downfalls were problems at all. Peter liked fooling around in the workshop, and he had friends to spend his time with while Tony was gone, and maybe if he wasn’t in school he could actually come with him. Peter always laughed at his jokes, and he was a master at getting him to open up, and didn’t harp on him when he wasn’t ready. Peter never acted like anything about him or their relationship was wrong.

Peter was perfect, and Tony knew he was looking at his soulmate, and the kid was too busy worrying that he wasn’t a good enough kisser.

It was infuriating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you 1, 2, or 3?
> 
> 1\. Poor Tony is trying his best to show Peter he wants to be with him, but Peter is silly and not getting the message!
> 
> 2\. Poor Peter is 17 and in his first relationship and just wants Tony to be clear and tell him what he wants, but Tony isn't great at communicating.
> 
> 3\. Peter and Tony are BOTH IDIOTS who should just shut up and love each other.


	14. Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter talks to Tony some more, has a heart-to-heart with May, and gets ready for the birthday party with Ned.

Tony’s actual birthday was on Tuesday—Peter had looked it up. He made sure to text the man right at midnight.

 **Peter:** Happy Birthday, Mr. Stark <3

 **Tony Stark:** Why thank you.

 **Tony Stark:** You need to sleep if you have school tomorrow!

 **Peter:** Oh come on…

 **Peter:** Can I see you before the party?

 **Peter:** Or are you busy this week?

_Tony Stark is calling…_

“Hello?”

“Hey, Pete.”

“Happy Birthday.” Peter hoped his smile was detectable over the phone.

“Thank you.”

“So,” Tony added, “this week I have to give a few presentations. I’m not too sure what the schedule looks like because my team is taking care of it all, but it’s probably going to be keeping me busy until the party.”

“Oh,” Peter said. “Okay. That’s all right.”

“Sorry, kid,” Tony sighed. “I wanted to see you, too.”

“Yeah?” Peter smiled.

“Duh,” Tony chuckled.

“Well, if anything changes just let me know, and I mean maybe we can’t hang out this week, but I can stay over after the party or something, right? If that’s something you wanted. I don’t know much about parties, so it might be late by the time it ends, and I guess it could be like a sleepover, then we could spend more time together alone because you’re probably gonna be busy entertaining, but, um, that’s only if you wanted, of course. It’s your birthday, so…”

Peter held his breath while he waited for Tony’s decision. Best-case scenario would be a _yes_ , and worst-case scenario would be a _no._ Peter didn’t think he would get a no, but there was a possibility that Tony might give him a hesitant yes, and not an enthusiastic one. That had the potential to be worse than an outright no.

Tony laughed, “I like the sound of that.”

“Really?” Peter whispered.

“It’s a date.”

Peter shifted in his bed and pressed the phone even closer to his ear. Tony had just given him the best gift, and it wasn’t even his birthday.

“Feel free to take my mind off work with gratuitous texting, by the way,” Tony suggested. “We don’t need a repeat of the India debacle.”

Peter giggled. Tony really should be careful what he wished for…if he wanted texts, then he was going to get them.

“I found you a gift, you know. Even though you said you didn’t want anything.”

“Did you now?”

“I think you’ll like it.”

“What makes you say that?” Tony teased.

“Just a few things I’ve observed.”

“Well, you are a fairly smart guy, so I’m inclined to trust you on this.”

* * *

Despite Tony’s warning that Peter should sleep since he had school, neither of them made any effort to get off the phone until well into the night.

Peter should have been exhausted in the morning because of his late night, but talking with Tony had the opposite effect and put him in a better mood than he would’ve been in had he gotten ten hours of sleep. It lasted the entire day, even until he got home after school, and May noticed.

“You look different,” May commented.

“Yeah?”

May squinted her eyes. “Did something happen with Tony Stark?”

“What?” Peter squawked. “Why would—why would you say that?”

“Because I may have been born at night, but it wasn’t last night,” May teased.

“Is it really obvious?” Peter pouted.

“Just ‘cause I know you.” May bumped her hip against Peter’s.

“We sort of kissed last Saturday?” _And talked on the phone for hours last night. And we have a date. And he’s perfect._

“Peter Benjamin Parker!” May smacked the boy’s arm.

“Ahhh!”

“I told you. Didn’t I tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Peter complained.

“I told you that Mr. Stark was interested.”

“Wait. Aren’t you mad?” Peter asked.

“Mad? No, I’m not mad, though I would’ve preferred you told me about the kiss when it happened instead of waiting for me to ask”—May narrowed her eyes at Peter who smiled sheepishly in return—“Why would I be mad?”

“Because.” Peter held out his hands. “He’s 48!”

May shrugged. “Well, I’ve thought a lot about it since we talked about it. You remember.”

Peter nodded.

“As far as I’m concerned, there’s two ways this goes. One, I forbid you from seeing him, and you hate me. Two, I support you. You respect your curfews, and you stay open and upfront about the whole thing. No sneaking around. We're both happy.”

“May,” Peter said softly.

“I want you to be happy, Peter. I don’t want to lose you. I refuse.”

“You won’t,” Peter assured. “I promise.”

“You’re leaving for MIT in a few months, and I know it’s not the same thing…but it’s going to be hard to let you go, and I’m not going to screw anything up and make you want to stay gone.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Peter admitted. “I don’t think I’d ever stay gone no matter what, and you can come with me. I’m sure we could figure something out.”

“No, no,” May declined. “This is your experience.”

Peter bit his lip. “Well, if you feel like a bad person for letting me see Mr. Stark, just think…if I’m moving out, you wouldn’t have been able to stop me anyway.”

May laughed.

“Seriously, though. If you don’t want me to…I can stop. I mean, I really really don’t want to. He’s…” Peter couldn’t think of a good enough word to use. “But, I could try. If you really wanted me to.”

“Peter, don’t be ridiculous,” May sighed. “You’re the smartest boy I know. If you think Tony Stark is good enough for you, then who am I to argue?

“So…” Peter grinned. “Tony wants me to sleep over after his birthday party this Saturday.”

“Birthday party?” May frowned. “And a sleep over? Oh my God, I take back everything I said.”

“No take backs!” Peter joked. “But seriously. I promise to follow the rules. I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t, sweetheart,” May sighed.

“On another note, the invitation says Peter Parker and guest.” Peter waggled his eyebrows. “I can ask him to send you a dress, May. Mr. Stark has great taste.”

“If you two are getting more serious, why do you still call him Mr. Stark?” May frowned. “Does he make you do that? It’s kind of weird.”

“Oh!” Peter said too loudly. “Did I call him Mr. Stark? You know, I never noticed I did that. Old habits die hard…I guess you’re right, though. I should probably just call him Tony.”

May looked at Peter skeptically. “What kind of gift should we get him for his birthday?”

Peter grimaced. “It’s sort of a rich people party. It’s not really gift-friendly unless you have a few-hundred grand to give to a charity.”

“Ouch.” May cringed. “Do you think he’ll be offended?”

Peter shook his head. “Absolutely not. He just wants us to come.”

**Peter:** Hey is it okay if I bring May to the party? The invite said guest.

 **Tony Stark:** Of course. You want to bring Ned too?

 **Peter:** I’ll ask him! :) Thank you.

 **Tony Stark:** Do they need outfits?

 **Peter:** You’re the best lol. I was just going to ask. May needs a dress if you don’t mind.

 **Peter:** Let me make sure Ned can come first before you do anything.

 **Peter:** One sec.

“Ned! Pick up the damn phone.” Peter paced his room.

“Hello?”

“Ned, oh my God. What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m rebuilding the Death Star,” Ned responded in exasperation. “What’s up?”

“Mr. Stark says you can come to his birthday party,” Peter explained. “He needs to know if you need a suit.”

“Holy shit,” Ned said faintly. “Is this a joke?”

“No, Ned. Jesus!” Peter laughed. “Come on. Yes or no?”

“Peter. You guys are like a power couple now. Do you realize what this means?”

Peter rolled his eyes. “We only kissed. We’re not a couple.”

“But you want to be.”

“Obviously,” Peter sighed. “But he’s an adult. You know? It’s like you gotta date first. It’s not like in fifth grade when you ask someone to be your girlfriend at recess.”

“It’s not?”

“No, but I’m working on it. If I can impress him enough at the party, maybe he’ll ask me to go steady or something, you know?”

“Ahhh, I feel you, I feel you,” Ned said. “What time is it?”

“What do you mean what time is it? It’s on Saturday,” Peter groaned. “It’s Tony Stark’s birthday party. You cancel whatever you’re doing to make sure you can go. What’s wrong with you? You love parties!”

“Yeah, but Michelle is having a party. Remember?”

“You’d rather go to Michelle’s party? She doesn't even like us!”

“Come on, Peter. I don’t have a chance with anyone at that party.”

“You don’t need to have a chance with anyone. Come hang out with me.”

“Can’t we just hang out Sunday?” Ned wondered. “I can tell you how Michelle's was, and you can tell me how Stark’s was.”

Peter could not believe this. “Dude?”

“I’m sorry. Making headway with a potential girlfriend is gonna be a lot better than being a third wheel.”

“All right,” Peter sighed. “If you change your mind, text me ASAP.”

“It’s okay, Peter. You go,” Ned said. “It’s gonna be awesome.”

“Are you sure, buddy?”

“Yeah. How about I sleep over Friday night after school? Then I can help you get ready for the party the next day?”

“Sweet,” Peter agreed. “That’ll be perfect.”

**Peter:** Ned can’t come :( It’s just May.

 **Tony Stark:** All right.

 **Tony Stark:** How’d your suit fit last time? It looked good, but it was just estimations.

 **Peter:** It was perfect.

 **Tony Stark:** Great. Send me your aunt’s measurements by tomorrow.

 **Peter:** I will! Thank you so much, by the way. We really appreciate it.

 **Tony Stark:** It’s zero trouble.

 **Tony Stark:** Are you upset Ned’s not coming?

 **Peter:** Kind of, but he offered to hang out with me before the party so it’s cool.

 **Peter:** He’d rather go to a high school party.

 **Tony Stark:** Ouch. Maybe I should cancel the whole thing if it doesn’t live up to his standards…

 **Peter:** I think it’d be for the best. ;)

* * *

Peter packed his backpack the morning of the party while Ned supervised from the bed. If he’d been going anywhere else, he would’ve brought out the duffel, but he didn’t need a change of clothes. Mr. Stark had a whole closet of nice clothing he could get his hands on, although he sort of hoped that what they would be doing wouldn’t need clothing. All he wanted to bring was his notebook, Tony’s gifts, and his phone.

“What did you get him?” Ned asked.

Peter shrugged. “You won’t get it.”

“Ouu, is it a sex thing?”

“No, Ned. Oh my God.” Peter cringed. “Aunt May is right outside the door.”

Ned looked back at Peter blankly.

“No, I just got him some vintage sunglasses, and I made him like a poem, or whatever. It’s nothing special.”

“Peter.” Ned smiled. “That’s adorable. What’s the poem say?”

“Dude, I’m not reading you Mr. Stark’s poem!”

Ned frowned. “Why do you call him Mr. Stark still?”

“Oh my God, why does everybody keep asking me that?” Peter whined.

“I get it.” Ned nodded. “It’s a kinky thing.”

“I regret this. Immensely.” Peter shook his head.

Ned laughed, but the sound was cut off when May pushed the door open and posed in the doorway.

“How do I look, boys?”

“Whoa!” Peter and Ned exclaimed in unison.

May was in a black, floor length gown. The dress was simple, but the off-shoulder sleeves added drama to the neckline. May had added her own silver necklace to complete the look. Tony had sent heels and a bag along with the dress. Even Peter could tell that they were tasteful, and he had no clue about fashion.

“You look amazing. Seriously,” Peter complimented.

“Doing my hair was a pain, and it looks completely awful. Hopefully nobody will notice since the dress is so nice.”

Ned just stared with an open mouth. “Man, maybe I should've said yes to the party.”

“Yeah, you should’ve.” Peter eased up when he saw how dejected Ned actually looked, patting him on the shoulder. “Next time, buddy.”

Once May was out, Peter got changed into his own outfit. Happy had brought over both May’s and Peter’s packages the day before while Peter was at school. When he’d arrived home with Ned and saw the stack sitting next to the couch, he’d run for it.

Tony had sent him a sleek, purple number, the exact same shade as the swim trunks and the boxers. Peter wasn’t surprised since it was a thing now; he and Tony had an inside joke.

“Aren’t you gonna look like the Joker?” Ned asked seriously. “A purple suit?”

“No, this is lighter than that.” Peter rolled his eyes. “Besides. Dude. When is it ever bad to look like the Joker?”

Ned laughed, “Dude.”

“Whatever.” Peter waved. He looked at the mint green pocket square with a smile. It wasn’t just a regular triangle. It was intricately folded into a flower. He paired the lavender suit with the white shirt Tony had sent him with the first suit. His black shoes did the trick. The only thing left to put on was the cufflinks.

“Man, you have cufflinks?” Ned asked. “That’s next level. What’s wrong with regular buttons?”

“I don’t know,” Peter huffed. “Rich people.”

“I guess.” Ned nodded. “Hey, that means you were right, though.”

Peter knitted his brows together. “What do you mean?”

“When we weren’t sure if Tony liked you…you said the suit wasn’t a big deal, and he was going to get me one, and he got stuff for May, too. So it really is a rich and fancy thing, but he also likes you, too, so it does mean more in your case then?” Ned inclined his head. “It’s so confusing.”

Peter wanted to bitch at Ned for putting that doubt back in his head, but it was pointless. He knew Tony liked him; they were way past that. There was no point in wondering what every move Tony made meant. He would drive himself nuts.

“I’ve literally never worn anything that nice in my entire life,” Ned sighed when Peter didn’t respond.

“You could’ve come.” Peter shrugged. He slipped the jewellery onto his shirt sleeves. Two Ps for his initials.

“I’m seriously regretting that right now.” Ned shook his head. “Peter. You’re like a celebrity.”

Peter ducked his head. He had no idea what to say to that. Tony was the celebrity, and he still couldn’t believe he knew the man at all...Now he was going to his exclusive birthday party? It was a fairytale.

Peter finished buttoning up his suit. “What do you think?”

“Man, I’m totally coming next time,” Ned sighed. “I made a big mistake.”

Peter grinned. “It’s okay, dude. You’ll have a good time with Michelle, and hopefully I’ll have a good time…I am kind of nervous, but…yeah. It’s gonna be awesome.”

Ned held his hand out so that they could do their special handshake. “Totally awesome,” Ned agreed.

Peter smiled. “Happy’s coming to get me and May at 6. Your mom still cool to pick you up?”

“Yeah, for sure.”

“Don’t forget to text me if you lose your virginity,” Ned added.

“I’m going to kill you,” Peter bit, his eyes darting to the door. “I’m already on thin ice.”

“Yeah, but May’s super cool. She’s letting you sleep over with him and everything.”

“I don’t even want to say it out loud or I’ll jinx it.”

Ned raised his eyebrows and shook his head wistfully. “Tony freaking Stark.”

“I know,” Peter squealed. “I’m like the luckiest guy ever.”

“Tony is pretty lucky too, if you don’t mind me saying,” Ned said.

“Dude, I love you.” 

“Aww, thanks, Peter. I love you too.” Ned beamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thank you for reading!! And thank you for all your responses to the question last chapter! They made me laugh lmao!! Lots of 2's and 3's and "all of the aboves". But not to worry, my friends!! The boys (Tony) will figure out how to communicate properly soon, and it's going to be amazing and so cute UGH!!! I love them. <3


	15. Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter attends Tony's birthday party.

Peter wasn’t even sure where the birthday party was taking place. He’d half expected Happy to drive him and May to Stark Tower, but he missed the exit.

“Holy Mother…” May breathed when they arrived. “Gotham Hall?”

“Did you two even read the invitation?” Happy asked from the front. “It says right on it.”

“The good thing about having a driver is that you don’t have to know where you’re going.” Peter slapped Happy on the shoulder. Truthfully, he’d been busy concerning himself with how he looked and how he was going to act at the party, and what was going to happen _after_ the party, not worrying about the venue…

“Back off,” Happy warned. He went around the side of the car to let May out.

Peter had to open his own door.

Peter walked up the sidewalk with May while Happy drove off with the Rolls Royce. He watched the car until it was out of sight. It was a true beauty.

He was even more nervous by the time they entered the hall. There were so many photographers and cameras outside the building he’d had to dodge, and even worse, he was scared to see Tony. He hadn’t seen him since the kiss, and he’d never been around the man at a huge event, so he wasn’t sure what to expect. At least May was with him to take the burden of socializing with strangers off him, but it would have been even more awesome if Ned had come. It was funny because once upon a time, he felt threatened when Tony invited Ned out to lunch with them, as if it would lessen the romantic vibe to have a friend there, but now that Peter had kissed Tony and felt a little more secure that the man was interested in him, he wasn’t worried about it. He understood Tony was being nice and trying to make him comfortable by inviting his friends and family.

“Mr. Parker, I’m glad you made it.”

Peter turned from May to see Pepper Potts striding toward him.

“H-hi, Miss. Potts.” Peter held out his hand. “It’s really nice to meet you.”

The woman nodded politely.

“This is May, my aunt.”

“Hi there,” Pepper said to May before turning her attention back to Peter. “Tony’s not here yet,” she explained. “He’ll make a late entrance. He asked me to let you know.”

“Oh, okay.” Peter nodded. “Thanks.”

Pepper looked Peter up and down. “Have fun.” She smiled.

“Oh my God,” Peter gasped as soon as Pepper walked away.

“What?”

“That was Pepper Potts,” Peter said.

“Who?”

“The CEO of Stark Industries.”

“Wow.” May nodded appreciatively. “I’m surprised she didn’t congratulate you on the scholarship. Actually, she seemed kind of snobby.”

“I think she’s probably annoyed with me. I haven’t done any interviews, and she’s expecting me to, but Tony told me not to talk to anyone yet, so I’m not.”

Peter paused for a moment. “Plus, I don’t know if she knows about me and him…if she does, she’s probably not happy.”

May frowned. “Why would she care?”

“Bad press for the company, I think,” Peter whispered.

“Ah, I see. It does makes sense. Can’t say I blame her for seeing the scandal in it because I certainly do…”

“I know.” Peter sighed. He saw the potential of a scandal too, but Tony didn’t care, so he was trying to follow his lead. Not only that, but the more he got to know Tony, the more he saw what a great guy he was and couldn’t understand why anyone would think any differently.

He said as much to May.

“Yeah, yeah, you don’t talk about anything else,” May teased. “Saint Stark.”

“I’m serious. I told him I’d keep whatever’s between us a secret—yeah, yeah, I know you don’t like that—but he told me he doesn’t care if people know. He doesn’t want me to hide anything. To me that proves we could have a real relationship soon, and he’s not some, I don’t know, weird pervert or something.”

“Well I still have my guard up, but oh, it is sweet isn’t it? A really good sign that he’s serious, Peter.”

“Yeah, but then again, what do I know? If he was serious, I would be showing up with him. Not waiting here with everybody else.”

“I’m sure it’s just because it’s new, sweetheart. It’s only been a week. He probably just wants to take things slow.”

That’s what she said before when Tony was taking him out but not making any moves or explicitly calling anything a date. She had been right about it meaning more then, so maybe she was right about this too. Peter only hoped.

“Let’s hit up the refreshment tables.” Peter raised his eyebrows. “Fancy food is amazing.”

* * *

“Hey, haven’t seen you around here before.”

Peter looked behind him to see a tall, blonde man staring down at him. The guy looked vaguely familiar.

“Oh, yeah. I’m Peter.” Peter held out his hand.

“No kidding, that’s my name,” the man said. “Peter Quill.”

“Sweet. How do you know Mr. Stark?”

“I won his scholarship a couple years back,” Quill explained. “He invites all of us every year.”

Of course. He remembered seeing Quill's picture on the Stark Industries website along with the rest of the recipients. He wondered if they were here too.

“Cool. I won this year.”

“Oh yeah? Nice work, buddy.”

“Thanks.” Peter smiled.

Quill continued, “Here, I’ll introduce you to everybody. We usually stick together at these things because everybody else is sort of a dick.”

Peter waved to Aunt May who was already being chatted up by some guy and followed the other Peter to a cluster in the middle of the room.

“This is the new meat,” Quill introduced Peter. “His name is Peter too.”

Peter looked around the group in amazement. Every single one of his fellow scholarship recipients was attractive. It was almost ridiculous to see them all standing together.

“Big guy with the metal arm is James, tiny blonde is Steve, angry runt with the eyeshadow is Rocket.” Quill laughed.

“Screw you, Quill,” Rocket bit. “I’m worth ten of you.”

“Uhh, small one is Shuri.” Quill pointed to the girls in the group. “Chick with the red hair is Natasha. We call her Nat.”

“Call me chick again. I dare you,” Natasha warned Quill.

To Peter, she said, “Nice to meet you.”

Quill ignored her. “Other redhead is Wanda.”

“I will probably not remember any of that,” Peter admitted.

“It’s cool. We’re missing a few because of a bit of drama…” Quill paused while everyone rolled their eyes and chuckled.

Now Peter was curious about the drama, but all Quill said about it was that someone named Loki and someone named Jane wouldn’t be in the same room together anymore.

“Stephen's doing a surgery as usual, but hey, we got seven out of ten. Now eight of eleven,” Quill finished.

Peter’s mouth went dry looking at all of them. Steve and Rocket were both tiny in height and weight, but they were still pretty. Peter considered the big guy, James, the most attractive out of all of them, and if he wasn’t already gone for Mr. Stark, he would’ve considered trying to make a connection, but the way James hung over the little blonde made it obvious that they were together, anyway. Then, all of the women were equally gorgeous. He could only imagine what the missing, Stephen, Jane, and Loki looked like. He would have to check the Stark Industries website again.

“So.” Peter shrugged. “What are these parties usually like?”

Shuri laughed. “People think they’re good, but I don’t like them.”

“Why do you come then?” James asked.

“So I can make fun of everyone.” Shuri shrugged.

“You remind me a lot of this girl I know, Michelle,” Peter said.

“Oh yeah?” Rocket asked. “You think she’s hot?”

“N-no!” Peter sputtered. “I mean, sure, but no. I mean that they’re both mean?”

Everyone in the group laughed.

“Thank you, Peter.” Shuri nodded.

“What have you done to earn the scholarship?” Wanda asked.

“I sort of sealed the deal with a stand-up comedy routine?” Peter shrugged. “And Mr. Stark really liked my project proposal for this sort of liquid cable I made.”

“That’s neat.” Steve nodded appreciatively.

“What did you guys do?” Peter asked.

“Most of us can’t really talk about it,” Natasha admitted. “Our proposals ended up becoming classified when we got our jobs.”

“Whoa, no shit,” Peter breathed. “Are you serious?”

Quill nodded. “Most of us work for the government now. Shuri’s really the only one who works for herself.”

“Cool.”

Shuri smiled. “I mostly perform surgeries and transplants in Africa. I’m only in America for the month.”

“You’re a surgeon?” Peter raised his eyebrows. “That’s amazing. I don’t really know how my cable can even compare to that. You can actually like fix bodies.”

Steve answered, “If Stark picked you for this scholarship, you gotta be worth something.”

James agreed, “Yeah. He gives out tons of grants and everything, but this scholarship is super important. I was hired before I even graduated just because they saw that on my resume. Seriously, Pete. Don’t sweat it.”

Peter exhaled. “Well, you guys seem really nice, and don’t mind me saying…you’re all like really good looking.” Probably ridiculous to say out loud to their faces, but it was the truth.

Wanda giggled. “You’re cute.”

“Seriously, though,” Peter huffed. “Is it like a coincidence or something? Does Mr. Stark pick us based on looks?” That kind of didn’t make sense since Peter didn’t think he was anything special. He was okay but nothing like these people.

Steve grinned. “I don’t think that’s true in my case, but maybe for the rest of you.”

James frowned at Steve’s comment.

Natasha pursed her lips. “I never really thought about it.”

Peter was starting to feel out of place next to these doctors and secret agents (?). He was just a tiny nerd from Queens with a comedy routine. The people before him looked like they’d just stepped off the runway. Shuri was a freaking surgeon, and Peter would’ve bet anything that James had designed his arm himself. They made his polymer cable look like a shoestring.

“Excuse me,” Steve spoke. “I see Dr. Erskine over there. I’m gonna go say hi.”

Peter watched James and Steve walk toward an older man that was surreptitiously pouring two drinks into one big glass.

Peter turned back to Quill, Rocket, Shuri, Natasha, and Wanda.

“So, what’s the drama with those two people you mentioned before. Jane and Lo… what was it?”

“Loki stole Jane’s boyfriend,” Rocket sneered. “Some big fucker named Thor. Handsome, though. Can’t blame ‘em.”

Peter chuckled and an encouraged Rocket told him the rest of the story.

There was a lull in the conversation after that, and Natasha excused herself. “Catch you guys later.”

Rocket scoffed. “She’s a dangerous one. Bruce better be careful with that.”

Wanda and Shuri snickered.

The group was down to five including Peter, and he wasn’t really sure what to say to everybody. _Hey, so did anybody else kiss Mr. Stark or is that just me?_

He was saved when everyone in the hall started clapping.

Peter couldn’t help the smile that spread across when he saw Tony walk into the room. He had never felt more connected to a group of strangers than he did in that moment. Everyone had eyes on Tony, and they all looked like they were about to drop dead from ecstasy. Peter knew what that felt like.

Peter escaped the group of Mr. Stark’s other treasures while they were distracted and made his way to the bar. He was smug when the bartender didn’t card him.

“Mr. Parker.” Tony put his hand on Peter’s waist. “What a coincidence meeting you here.”

“Stan, you can go ahead and put some alcohol in that.” Tony gestured to Peter’s drink.

“Oh.” Peter laughed. “I thought he did.”

Tony quirked his lips. “Suit looks great.”

“So does yours,” Peter offered lamely. His eyes lit up when he realized that he and Tony had matching green pocket squares, and Tony was wearing his initials on his sleeves too.

“Make any friends yet?” Tony leaned on the bar next to Peter.

“I met the rest of the scholarship winners.” Peter shrugged. “They’re all really…weird?”

Tony laughed. “You know, I think that’s exactly the word I would’ve used too.”

Peter grinned. “They’re all really impressive, though. I mean...looks wise.”

“I suppose. Never really noticed.”

Peter frowned at that. Did Tony honestly think he was that stupid? Anyone could see they were attractive people. Why deny it?

“Shuri is a surgeon,” Peter blurted. What he had meant to say was, _why me?_ Neither his intellect nor his looks compared to the others’.

“I am aware.”

“How come none of them work for you?” Peter frowned.

Tony inclined his head. “It’s a little complicated. Most of them don’t really jive well with my company. Some of them work for me indirectly.”

Peter sipped his drink. It was really strong. He wondered if Tony didn’t want some of them around because of romantic histories.

“Sucks, though. Doesn’t it?” Peter asked. “You paid for them to go to school. Now they’re not even working for you.”

Tony grinned. “I suppose that does seem counterintuitive. I just like seeing people reach their full potential. They don’t necessarily have to benefit my company. The work they’re doing now benefits everybody.”

“Wow,” Peter said. “That’s deep.”

“Yeah? Impressed?” Tony smirked.

Peter pretended to deliberate for a moment, then he ended up nodding.

Tony smiled in return. “Listen, I’m going to go make my rounds, okay? Come find me if you get bored.”

Peter grinned stupidly. “Okay.”

“We’ll talk later.” Tony winked. He grabbed his drink and moved on, carefully brushing himself against Peter’s shoulder.

“Wow.”

Peter flinched.

Natasha was standing where Tony had just been.

“Wow what?” Peter sipped his drink for something to do. Canoodling with a hot, rich man didn't mean he suddenly knew how to talk to girls.

“Stark really likes you,” Natasha commented.

Peter frowned. “Really? How do you figure?”

Natasha twisted her face. "Oh please. He beelined for you and talked to you for more than thirty seconds. That’s usually his cap for polite conversation.”

“I think he was just being nice. He knows I was kind of nervous for the party.”

“Interesting,” Natasha commented. “I haven’t known him to be nice.”

Peter’s face was starting to heat up. He would’ve bet any money that Natasha and Tony had dated. She seemed to know way too much about him for just a casual scholarship recipient.

“Wanna come meet my aunt?” Peter suggested, not even trying to be subtle about the subject change. “Last time I saw her she was getting hit on and probably needs rescuing.”

“Sure,” Natasha agreed, eyeing Peter smugly.

Peter was happy to find May having a deep conversation with Happy right where he’d left her at the refreshments table. Maybe if Happy started to like May he’d ease up with his grumpiness.

“Big Guy.” Natasha walked up to Happy and clapped him on the chest.

“Nat,” Happy greeted.

Peter frowned. Yet another indicator that Natasha was too familiar with Mr. Stark’s world. Peter tried to reason with himself. _She’s been to a few of his parties. She’ll obviously know more people._

Even that didn’t help to ease his jealousy, though. It just made him feel even more like the new meat that Quill had described him as. He was way in over his head, at a party with hundreds of people. Everyone in the room seemed to know Tony better than him. Peter felt embarrassed and foolish. He’d kissed Tony once. A week ago. He’d thought that he was special, but being confronted with all the other kids Tony thought were special was a slap in the face.

Peter excused himself to the bathroom.

He was grateful that the place was deserted. He wanted to be alone. It was exhausting to be around so many scholars and scientists at one time. Even the conversations he was only overhearing sounded educated. He was glad he knew enough to know what the people were talking about, but he was still overwhelmed. That was saying nothing about all the socialites hanging around. A room full of beautiful and intelligent people.

Peter stared at himself in the floor length mirror. He felt like he had when he’d been examining his application for the scholarship. He looked at everything with a critical eye. _Would Tony Stark like this?_ The suit he was wearing was stunning, and he was having a good hair day. He tried thinking about his mind. _Would Tony Stark like this?_

Peter pretended to be adjusting his tie when he heard the door open.

“Tie’s fine, kid,” Tony said.

Peter turned to face Tony. He didn’t have to think about what to say next because Tony was kissing him.

Peter was pleased to find that kissing felt less awkward the more he did it. His third kiss with Mr. Stark.

Peter’s eyes flashed open when he felt Tony’s hand slide down from their place on his hips. Tony squeezed his ass before pulling away.

“Y-you.” Peter flushed. “Hey, that’s not fair.”

Tony flashed his teeth.

Peter tried to adjust his pants around his erection, but the pants were so fitted there was no room to spare.

“Ah, to be young again,” Tony teased.

“Ugh,” Peter grunted.

“Why are you moping in the men’s room, Mr. Parker?” Tony crossed his arms.

“I’m not moping,” Peter denied. “I was fixing my tie.”

“Yeah, moping,” Tony repeated.

Peter sighed. “I don’t know.”

Tony put his fingers under Peter’s chin to tilt his head up. “What’s the matter?”

Peter knew as soon as his chin quivered that he better lock it down. He took a deep breath.

“The party’s overwhelming, Mr. Stark,” Peter admitted. “Everyone here…I just…I feel way out of my league.”

Tony twisted his lips to the side in sympathy. “Yeah, I get it.”

Tony cupped the back of Peter’s head to bring him closer. He kissed the boy’s forehead. “Just a couple more hours, Pete. Then it’s just us. Okay?”

Peter smiled sadly. Tony being so understanding and sympathetic had Peter inclined to think that Natasha was wrong about what she thought she knew about the man. Tony Stark was nice. Still, admitting he felt out of place and Tony saying, “I get it,” was a bit insulting. _Does he think I'm right to feel out of place?_

“Here.” Tony smiled. “Roll with me for a bit. I’ll introduce you to some of my guys at MIT.”

Peter conversed with Tony's associates for nearly half an hour before he was on his own again. It had been fun being on Tony’s arm, and the man was great about introducing him and talking him up. Even better, Peter hadn’t said anything to embarrass himself; the men and women he’d spoken to had seemed impressed with him, but the party seemed to move like a giant clock. Every so often, the guests would shift and change conversation partners. Some people were important enough that people just came to them. Others did the walking. Peter didn't fit in with either group, and didn’t want to pathetically cling to Tony the entire evening, so he bowed out of the rotation and hung out by the bar where he'd look less conspicuous and wouldn’t have to worry about trying to find conversation topics.

He was there for a few minutes before Steve and James approached him.

“Hey Peter,” James said. “Steve and I are gonna get going. It was nice to meet you.”

Peter nodded. “Yeah, you guys too. Really. I hope I see you again at the next party.”

Steve grinned. “For sure. Have a good night.”

Peter glanced around the room to get a location on May. She, Happy, and Natasha were still talking. That relieved him since it meant that Natasha was occupied and couldn’t make any more insinuations about what he was or wasn’t to Tony.

Peter figured Quill was the best bet for killing some time; he didn't want to spend the entire night at the bar avoiding everyone. The other Peter intimidated him the least out of the remaining scholarship group, anyway. It was already eleven, and he was exhausted. He wished he could’ve just spent the evening alone with Tony. He tried not to think about how disappointed he was while he walked over to Quill and Rocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor bb Pete. Feeling so inadequate compared to everybody at the party.


	16. Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter have a sleepover!

Tony was dying for the party to end. Watching Peter from across the room was torturous. He was glad to see that Peter was getting along with the people closer to his age, but his smile never reached his eyes. Tony was trying his best to be polite to the guests because a lot of company support relied on his social presence. This party alone had gotten balls rolling, and three of his charities already had their donation quotas filled. It was a necessary evil to be the party man.

Tony knew that Peter was nearing the end of his rope physically and emotionally. The kid looked so tired that Tony wouldn’t have been surprised if he keeled over. What worried Tony more, though, was the disappointment written all over Peter’s face. His eyes would search the room for Tony, and when they found him, Peter’s face would light up. The expression never lasted longer than a moment because Peter’s gaze would flicker to whomever was standing beside Tony, and then he’d turn away.

He wanted Peter on his arm the entire night. It would’ve made the party experience infinitely more endurable, but Tony couldn’t do that just yet. It wasn’t that he cared about what people thought of him or the company for dating Peter; he was protecting him. Once sharks smelled blood in the water, they’d swarm.

Peter would have press hounding him and socialites chasing after him for more information on Tony Stark. Tony didn’t want to do that to the boy. It was bad enough that credible journalists wanted to talk to him about the scholarship, and Tony had a feeling he wasn’t going to be able to hold that off any longer, since Pepper was pestering him. _He needs to get in the public eye now before this blows up in your face. He needs to have the first word._ Tony got it, but he didn’t like it.

All Tony wanted was to take Peter back home with him. The prospect of a night with Peter had been the only thing getting him through the week.

Tony decided that he would call it at midnight. It was his party, and he could leave when he wanted.

He scanned the room for Peter and spotted him next to the bar. He was worried that the kid was drunk, but when he got closer, he saw that it was just a glass of Coke in his hands. Peter Parker was a treasure. Tony knew if he had been in Peter's position, he would've gotten drunk. Being sidelined was shitty, and Tony knew it. He vowed to make it up to the kid.

“Hey,” Tony greeted. He felt even guiltier for leaving Peter alone all night when he saw how happy the kid was to see him.

“Mr. Stark.” Peter beamed. “Is it time to go?”

“Yes, finally.”

“All right. Just gotta grab my backpack. I left it with Happy in the Rolls Royce.”

Tony nodded. “I’ll take care of it. Meet you at the front in ten.”

* * *

Peter found May as soon as Tony walked away, so he could say goodnight.

“May, I’m going with Tony now.” He leaned forward to hug her.

“Okay. Please, please, please, text me when you get there. And call me tomorrow.”

Peter nodded. “I will.”

“Ugh,” May shook her head. “What am I doing?”

“It’s just a sleep over,” Peter assured. “Seriously. Nothing else is even going to happen. You were totally right, and he wants to take it slow.” The makeout session in the men’s bathroom hadn’t necessarily indicated that, but he wanted to ease his aunt’s mind. She was already being way cooler about the whole thing than he expected.

He guessed it had something to do with her being a romantic and missing her own husband. She wasn’t going to take Peter’s chance at love away from him. He was two months away from 18 and about to move states, so what could she do?

Peter felt better than he had all night when he was alone with Tony heading back to Stark Tower. He sat back in the passenger seat and closed his eyes. Tony’s cars were so quiet that Peter could only hear a light hum and the occasional rush of wind from oncoming cars. It was beyond relaxing.

Peter came to when he heard a door shut. He looked around in confusion to identify the noise. The driver seat was empty.

“Mr. Stark?” Peter mumbled. “Where—”

Tony opened Peter’s door, ducking low so he could grab the boy.

“Hey.” Peter grinned.

“Hey.”

“Are you gonna carry me?” Peter asked.

Tony shrugged. “That depends on you.”

Peter was tempted but seeing Tony in his suit looking all delectable was giving him a second wind. Peter just leaned into Tony while they walked to the elevator.

“Oh, do you have my backpack?” Peter asked suddenly. He couldn’t forget Tony’s gifts.

Tony held it up in his opposite hand with a wry expression.

“Good, thanks. It’s got your presents in there,” Peter admitted.

Tony waggled his eyebrows. “Lucky me.”

Peter had made out with Tony three times, and the man had seen his boner—through clothing—twice. Peter figured that counted for something, but he was still intimidated. What was allowed? What did Mr. Stark like? What did he want to do? Peter wanted to climb Tony like a tree and show the man how much he liked him, but he wasn’t sure if Tony would appreciate that. Tony seemed reserved. Often, he was flamboyant and cocky, but as Peter got to know him better, he could tell there was more behind that persona. A certain loneliness and maybe even insecurity that came from being so high above everyone, and so admired, but not loved. Unlike what Natasha seemed to think, Tony was nice and kind and full of heart.

He settled for wrapping his arms around Tony’s middle from the side since too many options and fantasies overwhelmed him. Better to keep it simple, and besides, he fit perfectly under Tony’s arm.

“Few more floors,” Tony murmured.

Peter’s new sexuality was seeing Tony unbutton his jacket and shrug it off. His other new sexuality was watching the waistcoat come off and the tie get untied. Peter couldn’t stop staring. He vaguely noticed Tony folding them over a chair. Peter felt loss when Tony stopped there.

“You staying in that suit all night?” Tony commented.

Peter looked down at his own outfit. His suit didn’t have a waistcoat. It was Mr. Stark’s thing, and he was perfectly okay with that.

“I don’t… I didn’t bring.” Peter swallowed. “Clothes?”

Tony laughed. “What’s in the backpack then?”

“Your gifts, and uh, my notebook? Yeah.” Peter nodded.

Tony approached Peter then. “So you thought what? That you wouldn’t need clothes here, or that you could just use more of mine?”

Peter wanted to be absorbed into the floor. Should he not have assumed? “I just…I know you like dressing me. You always pick out my clothes, so… I’m sorry. I didn’t think—”

Peter was quickly gathering a repertoire of what things made Tony drop everything and kiss him.

Tony was less careful than he had been in the bathroom. His hands were everywhere this time.

Peter let himself be manhandled across the room. Tony half carried half walked him to the closest chair. Tony sat down without looking and pulled Peter onto his lap with him. Tony’s lap was Peter’s favourite seat. The chair was big enough that Peter could straddle Tony’s thighs. It was exactly how they’d been in the jacuzzi.

Peter moaned into Tony’s mouth when he moved forward on the man’s lap and felt how hard he was. That was the first time he’d ever felt Tony’s own attraction for him. Peter tried to push himself even closer to Tony so he could feel his erection again.

“Oh my God,” Peter breathed, his eyes clenched shut.

He opened his eyes to see Tony staring at him. Tony was waiting for him to make a move.

Peter kept his position, but he shrugged off his suit jacket and threw it behind him. He returned his lips to Tony’s. He could feel that Tony was all for it. Every time Peter would pull back to breathe, Tony would chase his mouth to keep going.

Peter sighed, moving his head aside to rest on the man’s shoulder. “Mr. Stark?”

Tony had his hands resting on Peter’s waist. He tightened his grip when Peter addressed him.

“Can I please try something?”

“Go for it, kid,” Tony answered.

Peter backed off the chair to a standing position.

He grinned devilishly before kneeling on the floor between Tony’s legs.

Peter took a breath before reaching for the buttons on Tony’s pants. Now that he was eye level with the man’s dick, the reality of what he was about to do finally hit him. _I’m finally going to suck a dick. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God._

He half expected Tony to stop him before he got through the first button, but he didn’t. Tony didn’t say a word. He just lifted his hips when Peter needed to pull his pants down. Peter pulled the man’s shoes off and tore the pants off the rest of the way. All Tony had left was his shirt and undone tie. Peter looked at Tony’s underwear with wide eyes. He could feel how hot the man was even without touching. His mouth was already watering.

Peter glanced up at Mr. Stark for encouragement. It was probably a bad idea because the man’s dark brown eyes looked black. Peter felt a chill run up his spine, and then his own dick throbbed in response to Tony’s expression.

Peter’s face heated while he leaned forward to mouth over Tony’s dick through his underwear. He wanted a trial run before he did anything major.

Peter couldn’t describe the pride he felt when Tony sighed in delight. His confidence grew when Tony started playing with his hair.

Peter steeled himself before tugging Tony’s boxers down his thighs. He’d only dreamed of this moment a million times, and now that it was a reality, his mind was in overdrive. Peter didn’t know what to do first. Just put it in his mouth? Lick it first? Mr. Stark’s cock was thick. Not monstrous or too small. It was perfect. Peter wanted to do everything at once.

He wanted Tony to tell him what to do, but at the same time, he wanted to figure it out himself. Impress Tony.

He grabbed Tony’s shaft and brought his face forward to lick the tip. Peter closed his eyes as soon as his tongue made contact. He’d had no idea what it would taste like, but he wasn’t disappointed. Mr. Stark tasted like a dream, and Peter’s own dick felt like it was going to burst. Everything was too much and not enough.

Peter licked the tip again and groaned when Tony hissed. Now that he was actually doing it, he didn’t feel scared at all. Instinct took over, and he felt bold enough to wrap his lips around Tony’s dick. He swirled his tongue around a few times; he wanted to keep tasting. When he finally slid his mouth all the way down to meet his fist at the shaft, he wanted to cry. It was so fucking good.

Peter’s eyes really did start watering when Tony’s hit the back of his throat. Peter persisted until his lips were at Tony’s base. He needed to take the man all the way.

“Peter,” Tony grunted. “Keep going.”

Peter looked up at Tony for the first time since he’d started. He’d been too nervous to see Tony’s face. It was easier to concentrate on the task at hand when he wasn't worried about the man's facial expressions. He regretted that immediately. Tony’s mouth was red from where he’d been biting his lips. His cheeks were flushed. Tony liked it. _He likes it_. Peter couldn’t smile around Tony’s cock, but he wanted to.

He pulled back and then moved his lips down Tony’s length again.

“You’re doing great.”

Peter preened. The compliment made him want to do better. He picked up the pace, sucking harder and faster. The movements were starting to make his lips go numb, but that only encouraged him.

“Fuck,” Tony moaned. “Peter. You’re so good.”

Peter would’ve spread wings if he could’ve. Literally nothing was better than being praised by Mr. Stark. He lived for it and wanted to earn more.

Peter could taste Tony getting stronger in his mouth. He could feel Tony growing restless. His muscles were flexing and unflexing. His grip on his hair was tightening.

Peter had no idea what possessed him, but he felt so complete and worthy before Mr. Stark. He was no longer shy. He pulled off Tony’s dick. “You can come in my mouth. Whenever you want.” He felt embarrassed at how broken and low his voice sounded. He wondered briefly if Mr. Stark would laugh at him, but it didn’t happen. Tony just grabbed his head with both hands and thrust up from the chair. Peter realized just how much Tony had been holding back the whole time. He moaned at the thought. How great it would’ve been to just stay still and let Tony take his mouth however he wanted. Next time.

“Yeah?” Tony choked out.

Peter could’ve died when Tony finally let go. He could feel the man’s cock throbbing on his tongue.

He could taste the bitterness. It was so warm. Peter couldn’t tell how much of the liquid in his mouth was Tony’s come and what was just his saliva, but it felt like a lot. He swallowed it down and pulled his mouth off.

He shifted his weight on his knees and rested his forehead on the inside of Tony’s knee just to catch his breath.

* * *

Tony felt blank. His entire body was offline except for the inside of his knee where Peter was currently resting. The boy’s breath was making goosebumps on his legs.

“Come on up.” He patted Peter’s head.

“Hmm?”

“Get up here.” Tony chuckled.

Peter pulled himself off the floor. He was a little unsteady. Tony was surprised to see that Peter was still completely dressed. How had he allowed that? He’d been dying to see him naked for some time now. His eyes flicked to the suit jacket on the floor. He probably should’ve suggested that the kid put it under his knees to spare them from the hard floor. Next time.

Tony originally wanted Peter to sit on his lap so he could finish him off, but Peter looked cute when he could barely stand up straight. Tony sat forward in the chair. Peter’s dick was at the perfect height for him to just take care of it as they were. The kid’s pants were straining since he’d been hard and untouched for almost twenty minutes. Tony was surprised the kid had lasted this long. He bet it wouldn’t be too much longer now.

Tony grabbed Peter’s hips and brought the boy as close as he could get him. He got Peter’s pants and boxers down around his thighs. Just enough to get what he wanted. Tony wondered if Peter would’ve been shy if they’d done it this way first, or if Peter would’ve been shy if he wasn’t so turned on. Tony would have to test the theory another time. He hadn’t even gotten his mouth on him yet, and he was already fantasizing about another time, the next time, when they could do it again. Maybe the thought should’ve made him hesitate or stop himself from falling in deeper, but it was too late for that. All he wanted was Peter, and now he got to have him, and there was nothing anyone could do, himself included, that was going to get in his way.

He grabbed Peter’s dick and relished how the boy’s flashed open as if he finally realized what was going on.

“Oh my God, Mr. Stark,” Peter panted. “Please, please, please.”

Tony took Peter into his mouth easily. His bets were that the kid didn’t last a minute.

Peter didn’t have the restraint that Tony did. He bucked forward into Tony’s mouth hard.

Tony would’ve laughed if his mouth wasn’t occupied. He kept his mouth tight and swirled his tongue around the head of Peter’s dick expertly. If he was being honest, it probably wasn’t very fair to Peter at all.

Peter was shaking. “Ah, shit. Oh my God. I’m sor—”

Tony swallowed Peter’s come down without blinking an eye. He thought it was done, but Peter’s dick just kept pulsing on his tongue. The boy lost his balance then, falling forward. He had a hand on each of Tony’s shoulders.

Peter whimpered when his orgasm finished.

Tony was in awe. He let Peter rest for a moment before he got up from the chair.

“Come on, Pete. Let’s go to bed.”

Peter didn’t answer.

Tony chuckled, reaching down to pull Peter’s pants back up.

“I’d hate to see what you’re like when you’re tired _and_ drunk,” Tony teased. Peter was relying on him completely to get them where they needed to go. “You can barely walk.” Tony’s mouth watered at the thought.

“’S not my fault. Your dick is like.” Peter shook his head. “You taste so good, Mr. Stark. I can’t even think about anything else.”

Tony glanced at Peter. He couldn’t even offer the boy a fond smile. It was like Peter had the fucking trigger words to get his dick hard. _I should definitely buy him something. Maybe take him somewhere? God, I don’t want him to leave._

“Okay, settle down, turkey.” Tony laughed when he finally got Peter to the bed. He didn’t really want Peter to calm down. He just felt like he needed to say it.

“You,” Peter retorted, star-fishing on the bed. “Oh my God, this bed is soooo nice.”

Tony smirked, disappearing into his closet to grab a fresh pair of boxers. He thought about grabbing some pyjamas for Peter, but he’d been generous enough with the clothing. Now he was doing something for himself.

He came back to find Peter sitting on the edge of the bed.

“What’re you waiting for?” Tony asked, walking up to Peter.

Peter raked his eyes over Tony’s body. “Suits are nice, but this is nicer.” Peter grinned, pointing at Tony.

Tony raised his eyebrows. “Then why are you still dressed?”

Peter looked down at his untucked shirt and half zipped pants. “Oh.”

“Yeah.” Tony nodded. “Let’s take care of that.”

Tony watched Peter fumble with the buttons a moment before stepping up to take over. “Allow me.”

Tony had Peter down to his underwear in seconds. “Get under the covers, kid.”

“You don’t wanna…do anything else?” Peter grinned, still blushing as if he’d said the dirtiest thing in the world. As if he hadn’t had a dick in his mouth only minutes before.

“That’s a complex question,” Tony replied. Of course he wanted to do more, but he wasn’t rushing anything with Peter Parker. “Lights, Jarvis,” he spoke again.

The overhead lights dimmed and shut off as the lamps on the beside tables brightened.

“Happy Birthday,” Peter murmured, rolling over so that he could get closer to Tony.

“It’s not my birthday anymore.” Tony smiled, pulling Peter closer to him. He was glad to see the chiseled chest again. It had been too long.

“Yeah, but it’s the first time I’m seeing you since the day of,” Peter whispered, tightening his arms around the man.

“Well, this has been the best not-birthday I’ve had,” Tony admitted, trailing his fingers along Peter’s forearm.

“Me too.” He shut his eyes.

Jarvis didn’t need to be told to turn off the lamps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MVP award goes to May for being super chill and allowing this beautiful union to take place. ;)


	17. Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunday morning with Tony and Peter and a little gift exchange.

Peter rolled over to check the time on the alarm clock, but there wasn’t one on Mr. Stark’s bedside table. He couldn’t tell if it was morning or night. He guessed that Tony had some sort of blackout system running through the windows since there were no curtains to be seen.

“Jarvis. Time please,” Peter slurred through his fatigue.

Jarvis didn’t say anything aloud, but 6:27 AM was displayed on the window where a moment ago it had been blank.

Peter huffed. Even on a Sunday morning, school still had him up early. It was instinct. He glanced to his side. Tony was still sleeping. Peter grinned. _Yeah. That totally happened._ He figured the man was tired, but he was dying to wake him up. He wanted to start their day as soon as possible since he knew he’d have to go soon. Back to regular school life on Monday.

Peter got out of the bed quietly. He would let Tony sleep.

He wandered the hallways, getting lost twice before finding the bathroom he had used once before... He knew he could’ve just used the ensuite in Mr. Stark’s room, but he didn’t want to make any more noise than he already had when he’d spoken to Jarvis.

“Excuse me, Jarvis. Does Mr. Stark have extra toothbrushes?”

“There is a closet to your left,” Jarvis intoned.

“Sweet. Thanks, man.”

He wasn’t surprised to see that the available toothbrushes weren’t generic store brand. Everything about Tony’s life was luxurious and unique.

Peter brushed his teeth for longer than he would have under normal circumstances. He wanted to make sure his mouth was perfect for Tony. Then, he washed his face with the softest washcloth he’d ever felt.

“Jarvis, which way to the lab?” Peter asked after he’d finished making himself appear half decent.

When Peter reached the lab, he was just as taken with it as he had been the first time. The s-Glass had been amazing. Seeing Jarvis in action had been breathtaking. His little gimmicks with lights and music were nothing compared to what Peter knew the AI could do.

“Hey, is it possible for you to call May?” Peter asked. “Do you still have my phone’s data?”

“Mr. Stark has deleted that file, sir, but if you provide the phone number, I can complete the call.”

Peter shook his head in wonder. Tony hadn’t been kidding; he really did respect people’s privacy.

He was glad that he hadn’t given him a hard time about it, even though it had scared him. Tony wouldn't have deserved it.

“Peter, I swear to God,” May complained as soon as she picked up. “I told you to text me last night.”

“I’m sorry! I fell asleep on the ride home…I didn’t even wake up until just now.”

“Right,” May scoffed. “You know, it was hard for me to let you go over there. If I can’t trust you to text me, I’m going to lose my mind.”

“I know, I know. Please, May. I’m calling you now, right? That’s gotta count for something.”

“Part of our deal was that you’d be honest and open with me. Please don’t forget again.”

“I promise, May. I really am sorry.” He had just gotten so carried away with Tony and his first intimate experience. Texting his aunt about it was the last thing that had been on his mind.

“Where’s Tony?” May wondered.

“I think he’s still sleeping,” Peter said. “I don’t really know. I got up and went straight to the lab to mess around.”

“Are you having a good time? Is he treating you okay?”

“Mr. Stark is honestly…the best, May. I’m having the best time.”

“Oh, geez. Don’t say anything more than that. I already feel guilty enough for letting you sleep over.”

Peter laughed. “He’s amazing, and we’re taking it super slow. I swear. You really don’t need to worry about anything.”

“Believe me, I’m glad you’re taking it slow, but I still worry about it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I saw how upset you looked last night, Peter. He acted like he didn’t even know you the entire night. You said it yourself.”

“Well…” Peter couldn’t deny that. He remembered the people he’d met. He could barely remember all of their names, but he certainly remembered Natasha. “I know, but I think it’s like you said…it’s new, or whatever. I don’t know. Maybe he just didn’t want to come out with it yet. I don’t even think we’re dating, May…he hasn’t really said what it is, yet. I have to be patient.”

Tony had come up to him a few times throughout the night while they were at the party, and he had introduced him to some guys at MIT, but it was just as a scholarship recipient. Tony hadn’t said boyfriend, or anything even indicative of a deeper relationship. Peter understood it, and he had still been eager to go home with Tony, but it wasn’t the most ideal of situations. He kept telling himself _soon._ Tony would define their relationship soon. Then he’d know, and then he wouldn’t have to wonder anymore.

“Just be careful, Peter,” May said. “If he doesn’t say anything, you ask him. I don’t want you to get jerked around.

Peter didn’t want to give May any reason to doubt the relationship. It’s why he didn’t tell her they’d moved beyond kissing… He wanted to make it palatable for her. Still, it was nice to have someone to talk to, and May had relationship experience, so he couldn’t help let his worries tumble out.

“I know he likes me,” Peter said, “It’s just hard to compete with all the people in his world, you know? That woman, Natasha. I’m pretty sure she and Mr. Stark had a thing…then I saw everyone else who got the scholarship, and…” Peter bit his lip. “I just feel like maybe. I don’t know, never mind. It’s dumb.”

“You don’t feel like your good enough for him?” May asked.

“Ugh, that’s part of it, but it’s more like I wonder what he wants from me. He could have anybody, May. I just don’t get what I could give to him that nobody else could.”

“Peter, you’re so talented and sweet. You’re generous and honest. Smart, funny…Tony Stark would be an idiot to think he could get better.”

“Yeah.” Peter shrugged even though May couldn’t see him. “What if it’s not about him getting better, though? What if I’m just part of the collection.”

“Peter,” May said. “Do you really think that’s true?”

“I don’t know why I’m even saying this stuff.” Peter shook his head. “Especially to you…I’m sorry. I guess it’s because I’ve never had a real relationship before, or whatever, and I’ve been thinking about everything way too much, and wondering what’s normal. I don’t want to wreck anything with Tony just because I’m insecure.”

“I just wanted to talk it out, you know? Don’t worry about it, May,” Peter added.

“I want you to be happy, sweetheart. That’s it, okay?” May asked. “I feel like a jackass for bringing this up. I’m the one who said he didn’t pay attention to you…I didn’t mean to put that in your head. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. I was already thinking it, and who knows maybe you’re right and he is jerking me around, but I don’t get that feeling.”

“We can talk more about it at home if you want,” May said. “We don’t have to do this now and put a damper on your day.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Peter bit his lip. “Maybe I’ll try to talk to him about it instead of just worrying about it in my own head. I just like him so much, May. Like, you have no idea how much. It is bad that I’m willing to take what I can get?”

“God, Peter. You make me want to come over there and take you home. I remember what it was like when I was your age. Even with your uncle,” she sighed. “I know what it feels like, believe me.”

“Yeah,” Peter sighed. “I’m sure I’m overthinking it and worrying about nothing. You know how I get.”

“You take after me.”

Peter chuckled at that. “Anyway, Mr. Stark’s workshop is amazing. He’s got so much cool stuff, and he has everything I need to experiment with my cable design. So, I’m gonna do that while I wait for him to wake up, but yeah. Don’t worry about me, May. Everything’s gonna be fine.”

“Well, have fun. Try to have a good day, and stop worrying, okay? Just try to enjoy the present. Spend time with him, get to know him more. I’m sure you’ll see one way or the other, and whatever happens, I’m still here for you.”

“Love you,” Peter said.

“I love you too,” May responded.

After May disconnected, Peter started wondering if he should be making breakfast, or if he should’ve waited for Tony in bed. Post-intimacy etiquette and adult relationships were completely new to him. Ignoring his morning wood had been an experience he’d hoped he wouldn’t have to repeat. He’d wanted to take care of it in the bathroom, but he didn’t want to do anything just in case Mr. Stark wanted to handle that himself. He decided to distract himself while he waited for Tony.

“Do you know if Mr. Stark threw out my experiment?” Peter asked Jarvis.

He started opening cabinet doors to search for it. Besides simply passing the time, he also wanted to take advantage of the opportunity he had to work with a fully stocked lab. Who knew how long he’d be in Tony’s life for…

The cabinet beside him displayed a green light before opening ominously.

Peter peeked inside to see a container that resembled a test tube rack. The entire thing was filled with cartridges of his cable prototype. He grabbed it and brought it to the nearest surface.

“Does Mr. Stark have a base file for this project?” Peter wondered. He didn’t know how to get the holographic screen to appear without asking.

Jarvis brought the system up.

Peter smiled when he saw his invention brought to life in the air before him. Tony had created an entire file for him. Official Name: SYNTHETIC FLUID CABLE. Familiar name: SILLY STRING. Creator: PETER BENJAMIN PARKER. Peter scrolled through the information Tony had compiled. He saw the ingredients and formulas laid out; there was a sub-category for Stark Tech that was compatible with the substance and an incomplete list was made for possible uses, variants, and potential modifications.

“Mr. Stark has begun creating a device for dispensing the material in the cartridges, Mr. Parker. The prototype was stored along with the samples,” Jarvis informed him.

Peter went back to the cabinet to see what Jarvis was talking about. He took out what looked like a bracelet. It was just the base of whatever Tony was thinking. It was missing a trigger. He turned the mechanism around in his hands. Peter’s eyes lit up as he thought about how he could further the design.

Tony Stark had used his valuable time to start a subsystem in his personal server for Peter’s creation, and he’d begun working on prototypes? Peter didn’t know what to say. Until this, he’d doubted that Tony was impressed with his invention at all—especially after meeting his fellow scholarship winners. He’d told Tony to throw the half-finished formula away, but evidently the man had ignored the request and finished it for him. Because he was interested. Because he cared. Peter suddenly didn’t feel as insecure as he had while on the phone with May, and he wasn’t as embarrassed about the birthday gift he was going to be handing over. Maybe he really did belong with Tony.

* * *

“Oh there you are,” Tony said. He walked into the lab, clad in jogging pants and a graphic t-shirt.

Peter looked up from the worktable. “Oh, hey, Mr. Stark.” He glanced down at his project. Peter had the precision welder in his hands and was adhering a trigger to the bracelet.

Tony raised his eyebrows at Peter. The boy was mostly naked—only in boxers—and completely enraptured with his task.

“You know, leaving the bed in the middle of the night to work on something is usually my thing. Why are you copying me?” Tony crossed his arms.

Peter laughed. “I guess we’re both workshop junkies. This place”—Peter looked around— “This is like my Candyland.”

Tony was in love. “You can come by anytime you like. I’ll add a private server for you that you can access from the s-Glass even when you’re not here.”

“That’d be so awesome,” Peter said, sliding off his stool.

“Did you figure out what to do with the design?” Tony asked, striding over to Peter to grab the prototype.

“Yeah, sort of,” Peter sighed. “I finished it, but it’s so basic. Plus, as you could probably tell from my proposal, I haven’t even figured out what to do with the cable, or the fluid, or the webbing. Whatever you want to call it. I just thought it’d be cool to hang from. Like bungee cord or mountain climbing ropes. Sports stuff. I don’t really have any other ideas for it, and it frustrates me, you know? I mean, it dissolves after a couple hours, so it doesn’t have a more permanent use, let’s say for bridges, or building.”

“So.” Tony shrugged. “Play with the recipe. Make it insoluble. You don’t have to have the best version of it right away.”

“Yeah, but it’s been three years since I designed it. I haven’t even been able to properly use it until now,” Peter sighed, holding up the bracelet. “Why’d you even pick this out of everybody’s design when it wasn’t even complete?”

Tony shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mr. Pity Party. Did you have your own lab at your disposal, or have you been secretly making this stuff in between experiments at your city high school? How did you expect to make it better with no resources?”

Peter shrugged.

“And as for your design compared to everyone else’s? I picked it because it wasn’t finished. Why pick something that’s already done and perfected when I could choose your project and work with you to make it better?” Tony raised an eyebrow. “If you think you have better judgement than me, I’ll gladly sign over the company to you.”

Peter let himself smile. He pushed at Tony’s chest lightly. “Stop being smart.”

“That’s impossible.”

Peter rolled his eyes playfully.

“You owe me some gifts, by the way. Where are they? I want them.”

“Oh!” Peter grinned, running past Tony out of the lab. “They’re in my bag!”

Tony wasn’t far behind.

“Okay, so first thing, I hope you’ll like it.” Peter bit his lip nervously.

Tony took the small box from Peter’s hands. The boy had wrapped it in red paper and had actually done a fair job.

Tony ripped the paper off easily, revealing a sunglasses case. He popped it open.

“Rad,” Tony remarked, taking the glasses out and putting them on.

“Wow, they look good.” Peter nodded appreciatively. “I wasn’t sure if the design was too wacky, and I know you already have tons, so maybe you don’t want any more, but I found them at this really cool vintage shop on my block, and I had to get them for you.”

Tony smiled. A pair of blue, metal-rimmed glasses. One lens was rectangular, and the other was oval.

“They’re great. Thank you.”

Peter ducked his head. “You’re welcome.”

He continued right away. “Next, I am like ninety-five percent sure you already have one since t-shirts are sort of your thing, but if you have it already you can totally return it. I got it offline and it’s just a matter of shipping it back, or I don’t know, I guess you could use it for a rag or something if you don’t want to wear it.”

Tony had to laugh at that. “Give yourself some credit, kid. I don’t think it needs to be a rag, whatever it is. Jesus.”

Peter blushed again while Tony unwrapped the gift. Tony wondered just how many gifts he was getting; Peter kept pulling them out like his backpack was made by Mary Poppins.

“You said your favourite song is by them…” Peter added. “So I just thought…”

Tony smiled at the black t-shirt. It was simple. It said _Butthole Surfers_ on it in silver, sparkly cursive.

“I do have a shirt for them, actually.”

Peter’s face fell before Tony could finish.

“But this one’s much nicer, and it’s from you, so…guess the other one is going in the rag bin.”

Peter beamed. “Oh, awesome. Cool.” His face turned serious when he grabbed the next thing out of his bag.

It looked like a piece of paper. Whatever it was, Tony already had a home for it in mind. Right next to the page he’d lifted from Peter’s room weeks ago.

“Okay, and the last one…Okay,” Peter breathed. “This one is so lame, and it actually really makes me nervous which is why I’m talking so much? But I feel like I can’t chicken out because I’ve had it written for a long time. Sort of since the night we went bowling? So, yeah. If you don’t like it, don’t feel bad. I know you don’t—” Peter stopped. “I’m just gonna stop talking and give it to you. See what you think.”

Tony furrowed his brows. He really didn’t know what to think. Peter was usually talkative and nervous, but he seemed genuinely worried. He was sure that whatever Peter had written would be lovely. Maybe a poem? Another project proposal?

Tony took the folded paper from Peter’s hands. His last thought before reading it was _Huh, I don’t usually like to be handed things._

**30 Reasons Mr. Stark is the Best.**

  1. His beard is always on point.
  2. He laughs at all of my jokes even when they're dumb.
  3. He’s the most fashionable person I’ve ever met.
  4. He drives the coolest cars.
  5. He’s polite to everybody no matter where they work or what they look like.
  6. He’s confident which inspires me to believe in myself. (even though it’s hard sometimes)
  7. He has the sweetest smile especially when his eyes crinkle at the corners.
  8. He pays attention/remembers the little things I tell him.
  9. He kept my glasses because he liked them better than his.
  10. He likes Burger King just as much as fancy restaurants.
  11. He gives second chances. (even when people hang up on him…)
  12. He sees the best in everybody.
  13. He works harder than anyone I’ve ever met.
  14. He’s a genius.
  15. He’s beautiful. (even though he looks sad a lot. I wish I knew why. I hate seeing him sad)
  16. He bought a kid’s meal just for the Burger King crown.
  17. He doesn’t ask me why I keep calling him Mr. Stark…>:)
  18. He’s as likely to own a bowling alley as he is a rocketship.
  19. He didn’t make fun of me for doodling hearts around his name. (he even kept the page…)
  20. He respects my curfew and my aunt’s rules.
  21. He calls me kid but doesn’t treat me like one.
  22. He is SO human and real. (media makes him seem like a cold guy, but he’s the opposite)
  23. He’s honest.
  24. He’s super hot…seriously. So hot. (sorry so many of these are about your looks. I can’t help it)
  25. He makes jokes when I’m nervous/tries to make me feel better. (pink pyjamas)
  26. He chooses to spend time with me even though he could do anything with anyone.
  27. He values others’ opinions even if he disagrees.
  28. He’s my superhero.
  29. He’s never asked me why I live with my aunt because he understands why.
  30. He knows me!!!! :)



From: Peter Parker

P.S. Bonus 31.) He’s a great kisser.

Tony looked up from the paper to see Peter practically gnawing his fingers off from nerves. His entire face was red.

“Kid.” Tony’s voice cracked. What else could he say? It was perfect. The sweetest, most thoughtful thing he’d ever received from anybody. Plus, it was a nice little reference to the Buzzfeed article he’d caught Peter reading the first time they met. He couldn’t believe Peter even had the nerve to think he wouldn’t love it.

“It was too much. Dumb. I know. You don’t have to—” Peter started.

Tony closed the distance between him and Peter without a word. He didn’t go for the kiss. He went for the hug. He squeezed Peter as tightly as he could. He slid both of his hands under Peter’s ass and lifted, trying to hoist the boy up. Peter understood what was happening, and he jumped up in time with Tony’s movements. He wrapped his legs around Tony’s hips, and his arms around the man’s neck. Tony just held on, and so did Peter.

Finally, Tony turned his face and pressed a soft kiss to Peter’s jaw.

“Wanna take a shower with me?” Tony asked after a moment. “Then we can go for breakfast.”

Peter nodded into Tony’s shoulder before hopping down.

They reached for each other’s hands at the same time while they made their way back to the bedroom. Tony had no idea what the hell he was going to do when Peter went back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeek this chapter was a tad cheesy. I hope you're not lactose intolerant lmaoooo. My heart tingles at the thought of this sweet list every day of my life. It's what Tony deserves. <333


	18. Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper finally manages to get Tony to agree to make Peter do an interview. Also, Tony gets a wake up call about just how much he's leaving Peter in the dark regarding their relationship status.

When Tony dropped Peter off at his apartment, he felt his loss worse than he had anticipated. He wanted to pin it down to one reason, but it was impossible. The list Peter had gifted him was a huge part of it, but it was the little things too. The way Peter had left the bed to go work in the lab. How Peter never stopped talking. How timid but eager Peter had been giving his first blowjob. How at home Peter had looked in a place he’d only been once before. The way Peter glowed after receiving praise. His little jokes. His cute smile. All of it.

After Peter had given him the letter, all Tony had wanted to do was hold the boy and never let go. The best he could do to communicate his affection was giving Peter a handjob in the shower. Tony wanted to have sex with Peter, but the boy hadn’t asked or made any indication that he was ready. Tony didn’t want to push; he wanted Peter to enjoy his sexual awakening which meant not rushing into things.

Tony knew Peter felt intimidated to lose his virginity, but probably eager as well. He was sure he wouldn’t have to wait long. He was fine with waiting, anyway; it had been enough fun jerking Peter off in the shower. He could sit with that for a while.

He had actual business to attend to when he got back to his building since international time zones meant that it was already Monday across the world. In a few hours, Peter would be going to bed and then to school. It was frustrating how the world continued to spin when he felt like his entire life was changing. He wanted to spend more time with Peter. He hated that he couldn’t.

Tony realized that he had Happy on call, and he could’ve easily had him picking Peter up and dropping him off. That would’ve saved him at least two hours of driving which he could have spent working, but he wasn’t interested in that because it was two hours more he got to spend with Peter. Definitely worth it.

“Sir, Miss Potts is calling,” Jarvis announced as Tony took the elevator up to his penthouse.

“What’s up?” he greeted after he accepted the call.

He walked into the lobby and almost missed what Pepper said next since Peter’s list caught his eye. It was sitting on the couch right where he’d left it. When Peter had been out of the room, he’d even asked that Jarvis scan and save it to his private server. He never wanted to lose it.

“I think you know.”

“Don’t give me so much credit.”

“You went home with the kid last night,” Pepper replied.

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“I’ve been in the office. You know the one a few floors under you?”

Tony didn’t say anything.

“I tried to come up, but Jarvis told me that you weren’t to be disturbed.”

“What are you even doing here on a Sunday?”

“Answering phone calls and emails from our PR team because they’re getting calls from journalists who want to know the story.”

“I’m not aware of any story.” _Shit. Exactly what he’d been trying to avoid._

Pepper groaned. “People want to know who he is.”

“What _is_ the story?” Tony asked.

“Well the smarter reporters have been saying that the kid is the most recent winner of the scholarship, and the not-so-smart ones said they weren’t sure. Both don’t think you leaving with him was innocent.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “What does it matter? They’ve never cared who I went home with before.”

“Yes they have. You don’t have to clean up the mess, so you wouldn’t know.”

Tony couldn’t argue with that. He should have been more fucking careful for Peter’s sake. There was no point in keeping his distance at the birthday party just to leave with him at the end of the night.

“What do you want from me, then?”

“I’ve already told you, Tony. If you’re going to be spending time with him, it can’t come out that you were already in contact with him before you presented him with the award.”

“Why not?”

“Because that’s not how the scholarship works, and you know it. Ten kids for ten years. You never called any of them personally, and you definitely didn’t go to their high schools to visit them.”

“It was a special circumstance. You know this, and besides, I know the other kids. They were at the party too for Christ’s sake.”

“People are still going to talk. The story’s either going to be that he was fooling around with you for the scholarship, or you gave him the scholarship to get him to start.”

Tony rolled his eyes. He hated how everyone twisted everything. His relationship with Peter wasn’t anyone’s business. “Am I supposed to stop seeing him?”

“Oh my God. You had sex with him didn’t you?” Pepper accused. “You know, that’s just great, Tony. The public is gonna love this.”

“First of all, didn’t have sex with him. Second of all, who cares what the _public_ thinks? Peter earned the award just like everyone else, and I never fucked any of them.”

“If you didn’t have sex with him, it’s more serious than I thought.”

Tony eyed Peter’s letter on the couch.

“Anyway. He needs to do an interview. At least one, Tony. All the other kids did one, so it’s going to look strange if he doesn’t.”

“Pepper. You’re killing me here. We gave him the scholarship. I already cleared his admission at MIT. Why does he even need to talk to anyone about it?”

“The whole point of the scholarship is to give positive attention to the company. If we don’t get his name out there, what was the point of it?”

Tony frowned. “The rest of the kids don’t even work for SI. They’re not benefitting us. Should I just ask them to pay me back the tuition?”

“You know that’s not what I mean. I know the scholarships are about more than just the attention. You and I both know that you’re not looking at this objectively. Because you two are doing whatever you’re doing…that puts us in a very precarious position. Not jut because of his age, but because you’re giving him thousands of dollars in the company’s name. Even if it was innocent, people aren’t going to see it that way.”

“Can we talk about this later?”

“Sure, we’ll talk later. But you need to talk to him. We need to get him in front of this. You promised me that you’d keep me updated, and I need you to do that, Tony. I’m serious.”

“I just don’t understand what difference it makes if he talks to them now. They’ll find out eventually and assume what they want.”

“If he can win them over before the shit hits the fan, and both of you can somehow convince everyone you didn’t get together until after the scholarship was awarded…it’ll be easier for us to deal with. Plus he’s 17, Tony. That’s a whole other can of worms.”

“But we didn’t get together until after…that’s the truth.” Tony yawned.

“Tony. You know I’m right. For the love of God, get him to do an interview. He’s been giving me the run around.”

“Ahh, that’s my boy.”

“I swear. If you don’t listen to me, I’m taking a month’s vacation starting now. Believe me. I can’t run the company and babysit you.”

“Okay, fine, Pepper. Jesus.”

“Give me a date,” Pepper insisted.

“Tell them Wednesday. I’m sure they can just do it in an empty classroom at his school or something. I’ll be able to talk to him before then.” He had assured Peter before that he would have advanced warning. Did two and a half days count?

“Great, I’ll call the reporter now to set it up,” Pepper said. Her voice was relieved and smug.

Tony wanted to end the call and work his frustration off, but it sounded like Pepper wasn’t done.

“Is he really worth all the trouble?” Pepper wondered.

“Yeah, Pep. He is.”

Pepper sighed. “Does he know how much scrutiny you’re both about to be put under?”

“I think he has an idea. He keeps telling me that he’ll do whatever I say. He promises not to tell anyone,” Tony huffed. “All he cares about is my image, apparently. His own doesn’t matter to him.”

“Tony, that’s amazing,” Pepper rushed. “That’s perfect. He can—”

“Don’t,” Tony bit. “I’m not doing that.” The problem was he was proud of being with Peter and wanted to show him off, but he also didn’t want him to be harassed. It was a tough balance between protecting him and proving he wasn’t a dirty secret. It seemed to Tony like he was always getting it wrong. Screwing things up even when he was actively trying not to.

“All right.” Pepper backed down. “I’m setting up the interview, then. I’ll email him the details, too.”

“Bye.” Tony ended the call.

Tony groaned and dragged his hands over his face. He couldn’t care less about public opinion and what journalists thought they knew. He could think of ten people off the top of his head who had partners thirty years younger. They’d been chastised for a bit, but the media attention always went away. Why should this be any different? Peter was two months away from 18, anyway. It was annoying. Even more aggravating was the fact that Peter had to give an interview because he’d won a scholarship from Stark Industries…Tony’s company. What’s the point of being your own boss if you can’t even decide anything? Goddamn Pepper.

“Jarvis. Any texts?”

“Peter, sir.”

“Display,” Tony said as he walked into the lab.

**Peter:** I had a great time. I can’t wait until next time. xoxoxo

 **Tony:** Me too.

 **Tony:** By the way. Pepper cornered me. She’s setting up an interview for you on Wednesday.

 **Peter:** Okay, no problem, but if you don’t want me to do one. I won’t.

 **Tony:** I don’t want you to, but I kind of see Pepper’s point. *Kind of.*

 **Peter:** lol what is her point?

 **Tony:** Basically that you drive it home that nothing happened between us until after the scholarship was awarded.

 **Tony:** Also that you win over the public before they find out we’re seeing each other…makes them think you’re not a gold digger and I’m not a pervert…I guess.

 **Peter:** Why can’t I just take the money and fade into anonymity. Who cares that you guys gave me some money? You’re a billionaire lmao. As if it even makes a dent.

 **Tony:** Gosh. You really are a gold digger aren’t you?

 **Peter:** Is this where I call you a cradle robber?

 **Tony:** We’re such a great pair. Brings a tear to my eye.

 **Peter:** Lol. I’ll do the interview, but I don’t think it’ll help anything. People will talk anyways.

 **Tony:** I agree.

 **Tony:** I pick my battles with Pepper

 **Tony:** She’ll probably be emailing you the details.

 **Peter:** Is this the only one I’ll have to do? Or is this going to open the gates of hell?

 **Tony:** I promise it’s the only one. I’ll take care of any other interviews.

 **Tony:** I kind of like fucking with the press ;)

 **Peter:** Thanks, Mr. Stark. I appreciate it. I really don’t want to talk to anybody…about anything.

 **Tony:** I know, kid. Don’t worry.

 **Tony:** Have a good day at school tomorrow

 **Peter:** Thank you. Have a good day at work!! ;)

* * *

Tony was up until nearly 4 AM catching up on the work he’d neglected because of his party and the afternoon with Peter. Usually the extent of his work was showing his face at social events, enduring meetings, doing presentations, and innovating technology, and the rest of his team took care of the remaining duties. Pepper Potts was one of the best things that ever happened to the company, but she couldn’t pick up all the slack. He still had to do his part. Which is why even though he didn’t want to expose Peter to the viciousness of the press—if Pepper said it was a good idea, he figured he’d better listen.

He just wished that the interview could be done under different circumstances. If Peter had actually done the interview as soon as he’d won the scholarship, it would’ve been a different story. Tony regretted waiting so long. The real problem was that he hadn’t announced the winner until after he’d already known Peter for two weeks. That was unusual. The typical process was a letter, an assembly, and a few interviews. Tony had fucked that one up as soon as he’d called Peter. He didn’t have a good excuse for making things difficult—only that Peter was different and special, and he’d wanted to go the extra mile for him. Turns out that going the extra mile sent them back to the beginning of the race. Now Peter would have to try and act like nothing was going on between them and lie for both their sake, and that was precisely what Tony didn’t want Peter to have to do. Tony wasn’t interested in pretending that Peter was just a kid he’d helped. He didn’t want to hide Peter, especially after he’d promised him in the Starbucks parking lot. He felt like a liar, going back on his word, and the worst part was that Peter was willing to do whatever he said, and indirectly, whatever Pepper said. Tony would have preferred Peter to be open about what he was and wasn’t comfortable with—not just do what he thought others wanted.

“Jarvis. Show me the video from when Peter woke up.” _I want to see him again._

Tony watched Peter roam his halls with barely concealed delight. He expanded the video to make Peter’s form life-size. He watched Peter stop at the bathroom, grabbing at his boxers every few seconds. He was obviously hard. Tony raised his eyebrows when Peter came out of the bathroom in the same condition. Good boy.

He watched Peter head straight to the lab to play around. Tony frowned when he saw Peter moving his lips as if he were having a conversation. Talking to Jarvis?

“Audio, Jarvis,” Tony said.

“Sir, Mr. Parker was having a phone conversation with his aunt. Are you sure you want me to unmute?”

Tony wrinkled his nose. “What do I look like? A saint?”

“You and Mr. Parker had a conversation about privacy. He was also pleased that you had deleted the copied data from his phone. Sir?”

Tony sighed. “Goddamn it.” He was going to let it rest, but Peter’s sad expression made him more than curious. “Play it. I want to see what he’s upset about.”

“You are a true gentleman.”

“Oh can it, Jarvis or I’m changing your name to Judgey.”

Jarvis didn’t say anything else. He started the clip from the beginning and restored the audio.

Tony listened intently to Peter’s and May’s conversation, happy to hear that Peter was having a great time and thought he was the best. Although he had written proof, it was nice to hear it from Peter’s own mouth.

Then he heard a frazzled May tell Peter she had been expecting a call and reminded him of how lucky he was to even be allowed out of the house.

Tony winced at that because she was right. He made a mental note to get May a gift for being so agreeable about the whole thing.

_He’s amazing, and we’re taking it super slow. I swear. You really don’t need to worry about anything._

Tony smirked at that. Peter technically wasn’t lying about going slow, but…they weren’t not going fast either.

_I saw how upset you looked last night, Peter. He acted like he didn’t even know you the entire night. You said it yourself._

Exactly what he had been trying to avoid. He had been trying to protect Peter based off Pepper’s reservations about them being open publicly, and by trying to do that, he’d made Peter feel like he was nothing. He couldn’t win.

_Well…I know, but I think it’s like you said…it’s new, or whatever. I don’t know. Maybe he just didn’t want to come out with it yet. I don’t even think we’re dating, May…he hasn’t really said what it is, yet. I have to be patient._

Do I need to spell it out?

_Just be careful, Peter. If he doesn’t say anything, you ask him. I don’t want you to get jerked around._

I’d like to jerk him around. What’s wrong with me?

_I know he likes me. It’s just hard to compete with all the people in his world, you know? That woman, Natasha. I’m pretty sure she and Mr. Stark had a thing…then I saw everyone else who got the scholarship, and…I just feel like maybe. I don’t know, never mind. It’s dumb._

Natasha? She wishes.

_You don’t feel like your good enough for him?_

He’s too good.

_Ugh, that’s part of it, but it’s more like I wonder what he wants from me. He could have anybody, May. I just don’t get what I could give to him that nobody else could._

Everything.

_Peter, you’re so talented and sweet. You’re generous and honest. Smart, funny…Tony Stark would be an idiot to think he could get better._

Okay…agreed.

_Yeah. What if it’s not about him getting better, though? What if I’m just part of the collection._

You are the collection.

_I want you to be happy, sweetheart. That’s it, okay? I feel like a jackass for bringing this up. I’m the one who said he didn’t pay attention to you…I didn’t mean to put that in your head. I’m sorry._

Yes. Exactly. Maybe not getting you that gift after all.

_No, it’s okay. I was already thinking it, and who knows maybe you’re right and he is jerking me around, but I don’t get that feeling._

Finally you start making sense!

_Yeah, that sounds good. Maybe I’ll try to talk to him about it instead of just worrying about it in my own head. I just like him so much, May. Like, you have no idea how much. It is bad that I’m willing to take what I can get?”_

Tony played the clip three more times before he archived it. He was at a loss. He wasn’t inclined to feel guilty about listening to the call because it wasn’t exactly anything Peter hadn’t implied or said out loud before. It was just difficult to reconcile the insecurity and worry Peter had shown in the phone call with the confidence he’d shown while on his knees and in his letter… Tony couldn’t fathom Peter even thinking he wasn’t good enough for him; Peter was better than him. Yeah, maybe he hadn’t explicitly told Peter that he wanted to be with him, but Tony figured that everything he’d done spoke for itself. Tony didn’t high-five people for almost getting a spare at the bowling alley. He didn’t give them his custom sunglasses or keep their scrap paper or try to make them feel at ease whether by laughing at jokes or making them himself. And he most certainly did not fucking sleep the night through—whether he was alone or with a partner. All of that was Peter.

Could the kid really not see how special he was? Tony didn’t let his guard down for just anyone. _He doesn’t ask me why I keep calling him Mr. Stark >:)_ alone was enough to make him weak in the knees.

Tony thought back on the day. Peter hadn’t seemed worried, and he hadn’t brought up his concerns like he’d told his aunt he would. In fact, Peter had been glowing when Tony had worn his new shirt and glasses when they went out for breakfast. Tony remembered how he’d lost control and hugged Peter to near constriction. He remembered the look of adoration in Peter’s eyes when he’d gotten the boy off in the shower. What Peter was saying he felt and what Tony witnessed were two different things.

Peter was selfless and always put everybody else’s feelings above his own, so this didn’t surprise Tony, but it still frustrated him. He wanted to give Peter everything and be everything for him, and Peter was under some delusion that he wasn’t good enough? Only worthy of table scraps? Tony knew he was going to have to do better. Make Peter see how much he meant.

Tony left his workshop to go grab the list Peter had written him. He scanned it for all the points that proved Peter wrong and made special note of them.

_He laughs at all of my jokes even when they’re dumb._

_He pays attention/remembers the little things I tell him._

_He kept my glasses because he liked them better than his._

_He didn’t make fun of me for doodling hearts around his name. (he even kept the page…)_

_He respects my curfew and my aunt’s rules._

_He is SO human and real. (media makes him seem like a cold guy, but he’s the opposite)_

_He makes jokes when I’m nervous/tries to make me feel better. (pink pyjamas)_

_He chooses to spend time with me even though he could do anything with anyone._

The points were going to come in handy next time he saw Mr. Parker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol I know this chapter wasn't the most exciting, but it's nice getting a look at Tony's thoughts. And hopefully it's satisfying to see how in love Tony is with Peter, and now he's finally realizing that he needs to actually SAY it out loud instead of just hoping Peter gets the hint.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed. I promise the next few chapters will be more exciting. Thank you for sticking around and reading this fic even though the stakes and angst are minimal. I guess sometimes it's nice to just read something that isn't too heavy. :))


	19. Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flash upsets Peter yet again, and who else could he go to for comfort but Tony?

* * *

Peter failed to see the importance of attending school. Everyday things like homework, dealing with classmates, and lunch in the cafeteria seemed like a waste of time when he thought of everything he’d experienced with Tony over the weekend. How was he supposed to sit through Spanish when he couldn’t stop thinking about Tony? How was he supposed to relate to Ned worrying about what had happened at Michelle's party when he had slept in Tony Stark’s bed? He was on top of the world and walking into the high school on a Monday morning brought him right back down to everyone else’s level. He hated the feeling.

“Dude,” Ned sighed, setting his lunch tray down on the table. “You gotta give me the details.”

Peter glanced around the cafeteria to make sure nobody was eavesdropping. Michelle wasn’t in her usual spot at the end of the table, and Flash was busy bragging about his mad deejaying skills across the room, so they were good.

“You gotta promise not to say anything to anyone about this, Ned.” Peter couldn’t help but grin. “It was insane.”

Ned’s eyes lit up. “Oh my God. Did you guys do it? Holy shit. Are you still a virgin?” he whispered excitedly. “Wait, how does that even work?”

Peter rolled his eyes. “Technically, yeah…we did other stuff.”

“Peter. I am so glad we’re friends. Please. Keep going.”

Peter grinned mischievously. “That’s what _he_ said.”

Ned shook his head with a wistful and slightly grossed out expression.

“Well, the party sucked. It’s actually good that you didn’t come. You would’ve hated it,” Peter started. “It was just a bunch of weird, rich people. I basically spent the whole night by myself at the bar…”

“Wait, weren’t you supposed to be Mr. Stark’s date?”

“Sort of.” Peter winced. “We’re not official yet and everything Tony does has consequences, so it’s not really good for his company if people see us together right now.”

Peter kept reminding himself that Tony’s distance at the party was for the sake of Stark Industries’ image and not because Tony didn’t want him. It was difficult to keep up with, though. One minute Tony was kissing him in public and saying he didn’t care what people thought, and the next he was introducing him as a protégé and keeping his distance. Peter wasn’t sure what it all meant.

“Right, okay,” Ned accepted.

“Yeah, so I met all the other people who won the scholarship. They were mostly nice. One of them was a surgeon. I think you would’ve liked her. Anyway, we didn’t get to spend a lot of time together, but he really cleaned up in that suit.” Peter rested his chin in his hand. He sighed dreamily.

“What else?” Ned insisted.

“Oh right.” Peter blushed. “So finally he decides we can leave. He takes me back to his place and—”

“Parker!” Flash fell into the seat next to Peter. “Who took you back to their place?”

Peter blanched. “I—Uh. What? No-nobody.”

Peter was praying that Ned could keep his mouth shut.

“Oh, wait. Are you talking about Tony Stark?” Flash clapped a hand to his chest.

Peter didn’t know what to say. Apparently Flash was unshakeable even after getting shut down by Tony Stark in person, and even though Peter hadn’t been giving into his recent goading.

“Yeah,” Peter admitted. “He took me to see his lab. For the scholarship. He wanted to work more on the design with me.”

Flash nodded appreciatively. “Oh, I thought you were talking about something juicier.”

“Like what?” Peter squeaked, looking at Ned with wide eyes. Ned was frozen under the confrontation.

“I was reading all about Stark’s party online,” Flash began.

“All the gossip sites are talking about the mystery boy he left with.”

“What?” _Fuck._ No wonder Pepper was up his ass worse than usual about the upcoming interview. People were _already_ talking? He’d known to expect it, but not so soon.

“Yeah, some of the sites left you unnamed, but I recognized your ugly mug. You look the same no matter how much Stark shells out for your suits.”

Peter didn’t know how to respond. Ned didn’t seem to know how either.

“I’m glad I didn’t get that scholarship now. Gross.”

“What do you mean?” Peter’s voice sounded flat even to his own ears.

“It’s like I’ve been telling you all along, Penis. You only got the money because you screwed him. I bet he did it with everyone else who won that scholarship. I actually feel kind of sorry for you. You looked so happy in those pics. Do you actually think he likes you?”

Peter stood up from the table. “What the hell are you saying, Flash?”

“I thought what I was saying was pretty clear.” Flash rolled his eyes. “But I don’t know. I guess I’d be flattered if I were you. I looked up everyone else who won the scholarship, and they were all pretty hot. I’m surprised Stark would pick you.”

Peter balled his hands into fists. Flash had no fucking idea how close to the bone he was on this. He knew that Flash was just teasing. Trying to mess with him. Trying to twist it so that he looked better for not winning the scholarship. It was textbook Flash, and he had been enduring the taunts for weeks now, but this dig was too painful to stomach. Before, Peter was strong because he thought Flash was wrong, but now the boy was saying everything he was already thinking. Still, he had to hold out that it wasn’t true. Tony cared about him.

“Just shut up! You don’t know anything about Tony Stark,” Peter cried before he fled the cafeteria. He didn’t stick around to wait for Flash’s response or to see if Ned was following him. He just left.

Peter didn’t know where he was going. The overachiever part of him was saying that skipping school was wrong, and the human part of him was telling him that he needed a break. May was at work, so she couldn’t come pick him up. He had no license, and definitely no car. He didn’t feel comfortable asking Happy to come get him, and he knew Tony was busy. Even if he had transportation, he didn’t know where he could go. Peter knew where he _wanted_ to go.

* * *

The Uber he called ended up charging fifty dollars, but Peter didn’t care. Even just seeing Stark Tower was enough to calm him down. He realized once he arrived that he’d never actually walked through the front doors because Tony used the garage entrance. He had no idea if there was a security guard or an ID scanner that he needed to pass.

He walked into the lobby, looking around to see if anyone had eyes on him. There were a couple people behind the counter—receptionists. Peter wasn’t sure if he needed to check in. Tony wasn’t expecting him, and they weren’t going to believe that he was someone Tony knew. Peter didn’t even think he’d be on the list of cleared visitors—not this soon. He didn’t know what he had been thinking now that he was this far into the non-plan.

Peter eyed the receptionists skeptically while he walked to the elevators. Nobody was even paying attention to him. It dawned on Peter that the building must be so secure that security personnel weren’t even needed. Jarvis was in control of everything, if his theory was correct. If he’d come in with a weapon, he probably would’ve been on the ground in seconds from some sort of electric impulse or frequency. He remembered how quickly Jarvis had scanned him once before, and that was only a fraction of what the AI was actually capable of.

His biometrics were most likely still stored in the security system, though, which would work in his favour.

Peter was going to test his access on the retina scanners near the elevators, but then he remembered Tony had said that he had a personal elevator. That was the one he would need if he wanted to go all the way up.

Peter approached the elevator as casually as possible, hoping he wouldn’t be caught or questioned.

“Jarvis?” Peter whispered. “Um, hi. How’s it going? I doubt Mr. Stark is even home, but can I go up? I swear I won’t wreck anything or touch anything. I just didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

A holographic screen popped up where Jarvis’ response appeared in lieu of him speaking.

_Mr. Stark is not home._

“Come on. Please?” Peter urged. “I need to get out of the lobby before they see I’m not supposed to be here, and I’m talking to a freaking wall.”

The elevator opened.

“Yes, thanks, Jarv. I owe you one. Big time.” Peter grinned once he was inside the elevator.

“I shall hold you to that, Mr. Parker,” Jarvis responded lightly.

* * *

“Mr. Stark, Peter Parker is currently in the elevator riding up to your apartment,” Jarvis notified Tony via his earpiece.

Tony was in the middle of a meeting, and Jarvis dropping a bomb like this on him wasn’t ideal. How was he supposed to explain why his mood had improved so drastically when the board sharing the table with him had no idea he’d just received any news. _I need to get home._

“Any way we can wrap this up, people?” Tony wondered impatiently.

* * *

Peter walked into Tony’s place, and he couldn’t help but feel exclusive. How many people could say that they got into Mr. Stark’s apartment without him there? _Jarvis likes me._

Peter immediately felt at ease. No Flash. No teachers. No stupid schoolwork. Just Tony. He grinned when he looked at the chair Tony had been sitting on when he blew him. It was a nice chair, but the memory was what really made it. Peter wanted to stay in Tony’s place forever.

He wandered to the bedroom, trailing his fingertips against the wall of the corridor. Peter eyed the bed he’d just woken up in the day before. It wasn’t fair that he had to go back to his twin bed in Queens when he could be sharing a king bed with Tony. Flash’s words insinuated themselves in his mind, then, and Peter wondered if Tony even wanted him there. He winced at his own thoughts. _It doesn’t matter. I’ll take what I can get. Stay around as long as he wants me._

Peter looked around the room. The wall opposite to the door was made up entirely of windows. The view over the city was breathtaking. Peter could only imagine what it looked like at night; Tony had had the windows blacked out when he’d seen it over the weekend. Peter sighed and walked over to the closet and the ensuite bathroom.

Tony had a distinctive taste in décor. The man enjoyed an unmistakeably modern aesthetic, but warm tones and rustic patterns were included in the home just as much as sterile whites and metal furniture.

The bathroom was almost all glass and spotless of course. From a shower with multiple heads, to a tub that rivalled the jacuzzi in the gym, and to a vanity with double sinks. To off set the stark clear and white, Tony had live plants, wicker baskets with towels, and a giant chandelier that looked like entangled tree branches.

Everything he owned was perfect. Even the toilet looked state-of-the-art. Peter approached the tray near the left sink. There was an assortment of beauty products that were a brand Peter hadn’t heard of. He knew enough to recognize the bottle of cologne and spritzed some on his clothes and walked out of the bathroom.

The closet was decorated similarly to the bathroom, except more modern. Whitish silver sliding doors lined the room. White bars of industrial piping held up hundreds of suits. The room carried over only a hint of the earthy tones from the bathroom; some of the walls were accented with a light blue, and the interiors of the closet were wooden. Tony had an entire cabinet lined with his sunglasses.

Another cabinet was stuffed with neatly folded t-shirts. Another cabinet was dedicated to sneakers.

Peter’s head was spinning with how much luxury surrounded him. Two of his bedrooms could fit in Tony’s closet. It was obscene.

Peter knew he was being invasive by snooping in rooms that weren’t his, but it was easy to justify his actions when he remembered how Tony had looked through everything in his room the first night they’d met. Tony had even taken something.

He went through the drawers of underwear, socks, pyjamas, and loungewear next. When he opened a drawer that was empty apart from four items, he let out a small gasp. _No way._ Inside was the page Tony had taken, the list Peter had given him, the sunglasses he’d traded his own for, and a Burger King crown. Peter put a hand over his mouth he was smiling so wide. This was exactly what he’d needed to see given the mood that he was in. He had his own special drawer in Mr. Stark’s closet. _Fuck you, Flash. He likes me._ He wondered if he’d have the time with Mr. Stark to give him enough gifts and tokens of their bond to fill the drawer up. He hoped.

Peter bit his lip, suddenly feeling self conscious for being in Tony’s place. Alone. After manipulating Jarvis. What if Tony was pissed off? Peter’s stomach twinged. _Maybe I should just go. This was a mistake._ Peter shut the drawer and left the closet and the bedroom altogether. He descended the steps to the main area. As much as he wanted to get out of there, he didn’t want to go. He had no choice but to face the consequences of his intrusion when the elevator opened just before he reached it.

“Mr. Stark!” Peter yelped. His eyes widened.

“Mr. Parker.” Tony walked in. His expression was unreadable.

Peter looked him up and down. The man was in his usual three-piece. An eggplant and navy-blue striped ensemble with the smallest hint of an orange pinstripe. He’d paired it with orange shades and orange sneakers. “Whoa,” Peter breathed. Tony looked like a snack.

“I could say the same,” Tony retorted with a small smile.

“Are you all right?” he added.

Peter looked at his feet. “I sort of skipped school?”

“’Kay. Any particular reason?”

“Flash,” Peter mumbled, finally looking up. “Again.”

Tony’s face hardened. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No,” Peter admitted. “I just wanted to see you which probably wasn’t the brightest idea. I didn’t even really have a plan until I got here. Thank God Jarvis let me up.”

Tony quirked his lips. “He’s been known to make good calls. Every once in a blue moon.”

Peter let himself relax.

Tony spoke again, “How lax is your school on truancy policies? What kind of time are you looking at?”

“Detention. Probably a call home.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

Peter smiled. “Are you…free for the day? I mean. I know it’s short notice, and you look like you’re coming from somewhere. Probably an important meeting, and I showed up like an idiot. I didn’t mean to break in. I just… going to school today felt like shit, Mr. Stark. You know? I didn’t realize how easy it was to get swept up in everything. Fancy cars, and parties, and people…and then spending the day here. Everything we did.” Peter blushed. “It makes school seem like the most unnecessary thing. Like I didn’t belong there anymore. I had to get out, and then Flash made it worse…Am I even making any sense?”

“I get it, kid. Believe me.”

Peter wasn’t sure what exactly Tony got. The fact that his day was miserable without the man? Did that mean he felt that way too, or just that he understood the notion? _Of course he gets that people are addicted to him. It probably happens to him all the time._

Tony took Peter’s hand. “Come sit with me.”

Tony pulled Peter forward to the chair they’d occupied once before. He sat down and waited for Peter to sit on his lap.

Peter wondered if he was too heavy for Tony’s leg, but the man’s thigh felt muscular under his ass. Peter bet he could handle it.

“I’ll tell you how I get through the meetings and the drudgery of corporate schmoozing when I’d rather be in the workshop playing around, or in frickin’ Hawaii drinking from a coconut.”

Peter relaxed his body and leaned back against the man’s chest. Tony welcomed him by wrapping his arms around him.

“I think about how making the deals with the right people and getting buyers for my products keeps the money coming in. Having the money is what makes my travelling possible. It’s what keeps my shop upgraded and functioning. It’s what lets me take you out. The more money I make, the more I can develop, and the more I develop, the more money I make. No matter how far you get in life, there’s always hoops to jump through. You just have to accept it, kid.”

Peter sighed. “Yeah, but your world is major, Mr. Stark. I’m in high school. Algebra tests aren’t doing anything for me.”

“Acing those tests got you stellar grades, and your grades play a big part in qualifying for the scholarship,” Tony reminded him. “And, as you know, winning _that_ was how we met. Are you still so sure algebra tests aren’t doing anything for you?”

Peter ducked his head. “Well when you put it like that…”

“You’ll be at MIT soon. Work hard, keep your head down and bide your time, then you’ll be wherever you want. You can be your own boss someday. Like me. You might still have to jump through the odd hoop, but you’ll be successful enough that you can pay people like Flash to go away. Maybe pay someone to _make_ them go away…that depends on your morals, though.”

Peter giggled. “Well, I sort of just wanted to work for you, but…I know it’s too soon to tell. Maybe MIT will chew me up and spit me out. Maybe I’m not Stark material.”

Tony slid his hand under Peter’s t-shirt and let it roam across his chest. After a moment of exploration, he brushed his fingers across Peter’s nipples with intention.

The feeling went straight to Peter’s dick.

“You’re Stark material. Trust me. I would know,” he continued, “and besides, I’m not gonna let anything bad happen to you.” 

“I like you too much,” Tony purred into Peter’s ear.

Peter didn’t know Tony’s voice was enough to make his eyes roll back into his head. What he was saying was even better. _I like you._

“Mr. Stark,” Peter said. It was a question, a statement, and an invitation all in one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lovely artwork was once again provided by Shivanessa. xx
> 
> Sorry for yet another cliffhanger lmao, the next chapter will be out on Saturday, and the spiciness will pick up right where it left off.


	20. Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Tony continue their impromptu afternoon together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexual content in this chapter >:) (Also a bit more angsting and miscommunication but are we surprised?)

The feeling of Peter’s weight in his lap was enough to make Tony hard. He put his hands under Peter’s armpits to get him up.

“Come on, Pete. Want you in the bed,” Tony instructed. His heart was still beating quickly from his words. _I like you too much._ There it was. Now Peter knew.

Peter’s eyes were glistening with questions even though he stood up immediately at the direction.

Tony wasn’t sure how to answer them. It all depended on Peter. He would’ve fucked the kid the first night they met if that had been the vibe. Peter had looked embarrassed when Tony had caught him in his pink Hello Kitty pyjamas. Tony had just found him enticing. It went beyond that now. It was more than thinking Peter looked cute and shy, or finding his obvious crush adorable. It was deeper than keeping a note with his name surrounded by hearts. Now it was more that Peter had become such a part of his life that he couldn’t imagine what his days would look like without Peter’s texts. The days he got to see Peter were even better. It had only been two months, and Peter was it for him. Even Jarvis was skirting around protocols for the kid. He didn’t do that for anybody.

For the first time, Tony was hesitant to have sex. As much as he wanted to fuck Peter, he wanted to take his time and make sure Peter was ready. But on the other hand, he didn’t want to take it too slow. Peter was already concerned about his position on Tony’s priority list, so he didn’t want to make him think he didn’t _want_ things to progress.

Tony grabbed Peter’s hand, prepared to start guiding him to the bedroom, but Peter pulled back and kept them still.

Tony turned toward the boy and inclined his head in questioning.

“Um, I have to apologize first, um, before we do anything,” Peter said bashfully. “I don’t want you to be mad, and I feel kind of guilty…”

“What’s up?”

“I sort of snooped in your closet before you got here. I just wanted you to know because we talked about privacy before, and I didn’t want there to be a secret between us.”

It was cute that Peter thought he would actually mind. Peter could probably do anything, and he wouldn’t be upset.

Tony could do nothing but smile. “We’re square, kid. I’ve got hours of surveillance on you, and I may or may not have lost control and watched a few clips.”

“Mr. Stark,” Peter whined. “Seriously?”

“You’re a sight to behold, Mr. Parker. I wanted to see you after you left. I’m only a man, and if it makes you feel better, Jarvis gave me shit for it.”

Peter didn’t look upset, rather he looked quite pleased.

“I suppose you saw the list and all the, um, artifacts?” Tony asked when Peter didn’t say anything else.

They were still holding hands, and Tony made note that he wanted to start doing that a lot more often. _He’s got such nice hands, they fit perfectly in mine._

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m really glad you kept everything. It makes me think—well…” Peter stopped talking and shook his head. “Never mind. I’ve been babbling enough. It doesn’t matter. We should um, do what we were gonna do.”

Tony was relieved yet slightly disappointed by that revelation. He’d been trying all day to think of the right words to say to Peter to convey his feelings, find a way to bring up the list and make it clear how much he cared. And the boy had gone ahead and done the work for him. Snooping and finding the list, so he must’ve seen the highlighted points and deduced their meaning. Well, good. Now the time for talking was passed, and Tony could communicate everything he wanted to with his body. Make Peter feel better than he’d ever felt, erase all of his worries.

“After you, Mr. Parker.” Tony gestured in the general direction of his bedroom.

He couldn’t see Peter’s face, but Tony imagined that he was concentrating hard on walking carefully so that he wouldn’t stumble up the stairs they were ascending.

When they got to the bedroom, Tony dimmed the lights and loosened his tie. Peter stood before the bed, both uncertainty and desire written all over him.. Tony wanted to take the guesswork out of the equation; he would make it fun for Peter.

“Don’t think about anything,” Tony suggested. “Let me do the work.”

Peter nodded easily.

“Take off your clothes,” Tony said casually.

Peter’s hands went to the hem of his shirt. He lifted it over his head quickly, shaking his hair after it was off. He kicked off his sneakers and unzipped his jeans. He hesitated at the boxers.

Tony took care of them for Peter. He slipped his fingers along the waistband, teasing Peter before finally yanking them down.

Tony smirked when he saw what Peter had going for him. Hard already when they hadn’t even done anything apart from holding hands. Tony enjoyed the nuances of nudity when it came to sex. There was blowing someone in the dark. That was easy. There was fooling around in the shower. The water was a buffer from truly being exposed, and both parties were naked. There was fucking someone so desperately that nobody had a chance to undress. Barely any nudity involved at all. Standing naked before someone fully clothed while they just looked was a different story. Tony watched Peter avert his eyes, then look down, then try to shift and hide. Tony wasn’t having it.

He cupped Peter’s cheek and didn’t look away from his eyes. “Feel my suit against your skin,” Tony instructed. “Think about how naked you are and how naked I’m not.”

Peter bit his lip.

“Don’t hide from it,” Tony added. “Don’t worry about it. Just feel it.”

Tony pushed Peter back onto the bed and crawled on top of him. He pushed his hips down against the boy’s dick. He knew exactly what the soft material of the suit felt like against the skin.

Peter groaned, trying to push back up into Tony to get the feeling back.

Tony straddled Peter’s body, balancing himself on his hands and knees. He was aware of how much material he was putting between them. Shirt, waistcoat, jacket, pants… He still had his sneakers on.

“Think about what it’d be like if you’d waited for me here all day like this,” Tony whispered. “You had no idea when I’d be getting back.”

Peter’s eyes closed.

“The only thing you could do is lie here naked. Just waiting for me,” Tony added, pushing his hips down again. “You’re so hard. You want me to fuck you so bad. So bad that you don’t touch yourself because you know I can do it better.”

Peter groaned. “Mr. Stark.”

“Yeah,” Tony encouraged. “As soon as I walk in the door I come to you to give you what you need. As bad as you wanted it, I wanted you more.” Tony smiled and bit Peter’s earlobe.

“Ahh,” Peter panted.

Tony dropped his weight onto Peter for a moment and let the boy writhe beneath him. It didn’t take long for Peter to find a rhythm. He started rutting up against Tony. Then he pulled back up, leaving Peter breathless.

“N-no. No, no, please,” Peter whined. “I’ve been waiting all day. I’ve been good. I wanted to see you, sir. Don’t make me wait anymore.”

“God, you’re perfect,” Tony sighed. He popped a finger in his mouth. Once it was wet enough, he brought it down between his and Peter’s bodies. He slipped it under Peter before the boy even had a chance to notice.

“Oh f-fuck,” Peter cried when Tony pressed his finger against his rim.

“That’s it, baby,” Tony encouraged. “You can swear. Cry if you want to.”

Peter gasped.

Tony pressed harder against Peter’s hole.

“Just think about it,” Tony said. “You get to come all over one of my favourite suits.”

Peter groaned, bringing a hand up to his forehead.

Tony dropped his weight again, and Peter lost it, bucking up against him hard. He was deceptively slight and actually had a lot of strength and power in his smaller body.

“Hngh, your suit’s so soft, Mr. Stark,” Peter cried.

“Yeah? I put it on just for you, baby. How are you gonna thank me?”

Peter clenched his eyes shut. He had his arms wrapped around Tony’s back. The boy’s fingers clawed at his jacket, trying to force Tony down even further.

“I’m gonna—” Peter began. “Please, Tony. Please.”

Tony hummed, leaning his head down to lick at Peter’s open mouth.

“It’s Mr. Stark,” Tony corrected. He knew just what that would do to his boy.

“Oh,” Peter moaned, giving a few last thrusts. Tony made sure to press down with his body as hard as possible even though he was getting tired of holding himself up.

“Good boy,” Tony encouraged, letting Peter cling to him while he rode out his orgasm.

After a moment, Tony backed off. He sat back on his heels to watch Peter’s face in the afterglow.

Tony grinned when he glanced down at the mess Peter had made on his suit. The whole thing was a write-off.

Peter opened his eyes eventually, eyes zeroing in on Tony’s suit.

Tony was so getting Jarvis to give him the footage of this one. He needed to see Peter’s reaction to his come all over the suit again.

“Whoa,” Peter said lamely.

Tony was perfectly content just sitting there watching the boy. He hadn’t even gotten his clothes off, and he’d had a good time.

Tony wasn’t prepared to be tackled, but Peter’s eyes flickered down to the obvious bulge in his pants, and his expression went from fucked out to hungry.

* * *

Peter was on him in seconds, getting his pants unbuttoned and unzipped. He wasn’t as hesitant this second time around. He had Tony’s dick in his mouth the moment the man’s underwear were out of the way.

Mr. Stark knew all the right buttons to press. Peter was a fan. He figured Tony must like the Mr. Stark thing as much as him, or else he wouldn’t humour him with it. Peter wanted to try and turn Tony on. He wanted to be good.

Peter sucked Tony back eagerly, wanting to please the man as much as Tony had pleased him. He didn’t have dirty talk at his disposal, and he wasn’t sure if it worked as well on Tony as it did on him, so he didn’t try to be sexy. He just used his mouth the best he could with so little experience.

After a few minutes, Peter felt brave enough to say something. He pulled his mouth off Tony and took him in his hand. “Mr. Stark?” Peter asked hesitantly. His face flamed. How had Tony been so calm when he’d been talking dirty? It wasn’t fair.

“Hmm?” Tony asked.

“I want…I want to be a good boy for you,” Peter said.

“You are,” Tony answered.

“Yeah?” Peter asked. “Tell me how much, Mr. Stark. Tell me what to do.”

Peter could feel Tony’s dick twitch in his hand.

“Suck it, baby. Your mouth is my favourite thing about you,” Tony encouraged. “Let me use it.”

Peter groaned. He needed his mouth back on Tony now.

He took Tony’s cock back into his mouth. All he could think about was how he’d skipped school so that he could get off with Tony Stark. That in itself was dirty. Tony’s encouragements made it even hotter.

This time when Peter got Tony to the back of his throat, the man put both hands on his head and started rocking his hips back and forth gently.

Peter just kept his head where it was and let Tony do the work. After a few thrusts, Tony went harder and faster, bucking up into Peter’s mouth as Peter had done to his body. They used each other.

Peter didn’t taste it when Tony came because the man just shot straight down his throat.

“God, you’re so good, Peter,” Tony assured, threading his fingers through the boy’s hair before letting him come back up. “Perfect.”

Peter looked up at Tony adoringly. _God, what am I gonna do when he decides he doesn’t want me anymore?_

He was bashful about the come he’d gotten all over Tony’s suit, but he’d just been doing what he was told. Peter watched appreciatively as Tony rose from the bed and stripped. Finally nude now that they were done. It was nice to see how unashamed the man was of his body. Peter wasn’t embarrassed of his physique, just what he did with it. He knew he was virginal. Not sexy at all.

Yeah, he could see he had abs, but that didn’t mean he had any game. Meanwhile Tony was standing before him like a Greek god. He was undisputedly masculine. Hard abs, sharp lines, black hair. Everything about him screamed confidence. Peter was insanely jealous.

It took Peter a second to realize that Tony was heading to the bathroom. He jumped up from the bed to follow.

Peter stared wide-eyed as the man put up the toilet seat. Tony looked at him, silently telling Peter that it was his last chance to turn away. Peter couldn’t move, and Tony just smirked before he began.

The situation was so intimate and charged that Peter couldn’t help but find it sexy. He knew that there was objectively nothing sexy about it, but seeing Tony Stark take a piss was probably the most exclusive thing he’d ever done. He felt strangely smug.

“Enjoying the show?” Tony asked.

Somehow it was easier to be shy when Tony was being quiet but getting called out for staring made him realize how creepy he was being.

“Oh! Shit,” Peter squeaked. “Sorry, I’ll, uh? Get the bath going? Maybe? If you want?”

“Sure, kid. Fire it up.”

Tony flushed while Peter had his back to him, and Peter was dying of mortification. _What the fuck is wrong with me?_

“You should go before you get in the bath,” Tony suggested with a smirk. “I promise I won’t look.”

“Oh my God,” Peter complained. “I won’t forget this as long as I live.”

“Me either.” Tony laughed.

Tony was still giggling when Peter came back to the tub.

“Just kidding, I looked.” Tony clapped his hands together. “Oh come on. Don’t get pouty.”

“I’m not pouty,” Peter argued.

“I’m just teasing, Pete,” Tony said gently. “I think you’re cute.”

“Oh please.” Peter ducked his head. He stepped into the bath next to Tony.

Peter wasn’t embarrassed anymore after Tony pulled him into his arms. He didn’t ever want to leave this place. He didn’t ever want Tony to leave him.

* * *

Tony knew he could’ve pressed for Peter to tell him what exactly had caused him to leave school in the middle of the day and travel an hour across the city, but Peter looked so content and relaxed that Tony didn’t want to bring it up again. He had a feeling it had to do with all the gossip and the upcoming interview, in combination with Eugene Thompson’s big mouth…

“Are you leaving now so your story checks out?” Tony asked, towelling Peter off. He regretted bringing it up when the boy’s face fell _. I don’t want you to go either._

“I probably should,” Peter answered.

“I’ll grab you some clothes,” Tony said. He wrapped a towel around his waist.

“Should I put my old clothes on so May doesn’t suspect anything’s up?”

Tony shrugged. “Your call, kid.”

“Maybe just some boxers,” Peter sighed. So far he had the suits, and a couple odd pieces from Tony’s wardrobe. Peter’s favourite was the bomber jacket.

Tony dressed quietly. He wanted nothing more than to remain in only boxers, but he had to go back to work, unfortunately, and Peter had to go home in time for May to think he had been at school all day. He selected another suit reluctantly.

“You gotta go back to work?” Peter frowned sympathetically. “That sucks.”

“Doesn’t suck as much as it did this morning. Our extremely satisfying interlude is enough to get me through the entire week.” Tony grinned.

“It was…satisfying for you?” Peter asked. His voice was barely a whisper.

Tony knitted his brows. What kind of question is that? He closed the gap between him and Peter, so he could kiss his forehead. “I’m always satisfied,” Tony explained.

“Me too…I know it must be different for you because you’ve done this all before,” Peter guessed, “but I—I just wanted to make sure. Well, you’d probably tell me if you hated it. If you wanted me to do more…I could.”

Tony wanted to scream. Peter never seemed more like a teenager than when he doubted himself like this. Of course Peter was inexperienced, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t good enough, and Peter wasn’t the only one with insecurities; Tony could’ve gone toe to toe with the kid. Peter thought he was too inexperienced. Meanwhile Tony was aware of just how much older he was than the boy.

Tony knew how fickle the young heart was because he’d been a kid once. Peter had his whole life ahead of him, and he was choosing to spend it with a man who’d already lived three of his lifetimes. Tony knew if he wasn’t so goddamn selfish he’d let Peter go and save him the trouble, but he wasn’t strong enough. He’d spent his entire life chasing love and sex because he was so desperate for connection, and now that he’d found it—he would not be letting go easily. And Peter dared to think he was the weak link in the scenario?

“Peter.” Tony shook his head. “Relax. What you’re doing is just fine. Better than fine. I promise.”

* * *

It had taken a considerable amount of energy for Peter to act like he wasn’t disappointed when Tony said he couldn’t drive him home. Peter had to get back before May did, but he’d imagined that Tony would be the one driving. Peter understood that Tony had already dropped everything to come see what his problem was, and he appreciated that. He was always left wanting more when it came to Tony, though; their fun always had to end.

“Hey,” Peter greeted Happy.

The man grunted, waiting for Peter to get his seatbelt on before driving off.

Peter glanced back at the Stark Tower. Tony had ridden down to the lobby in the elevator with him. It had been a quick ride since they’d made out the entire way down. Tony stayed in the elevator so he could be taken back up to the offices.

_“See you later,” he’d said before ruffling Peter’s hair._

“So how long have you been working for Mr. Stark?” Peter asked.

Happy glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “Longer than you’ve been alive, kid.”

Peter’s cheeks heated. Wow. Okay. No conversation with Happy, then.

Peter looked away from Happy in the mirror.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant it’s been a long time.”

“Oh. Yeah, that’s cool. You guys seem really tight.”

Happy nodded. “Tony is one of my best friends. If not the best.”

Peter smiled. He liked hearing about people liking Tony. It gave him and Happy something in common.

“That’s awesome. I’ve always wanted to work for Mr. Stark. He’s such a great guy,” Peter commented.

Happy glanced at Peter in the mirror to acknowledge his words.

“Are you and Tony an item?” Happy asked eventually.

Peter raised his eyebrows. It seemed like Happy was struggling to remain casual when asking the question obviously made him uncomfortable. Did Happy not like him?

“Did he say anything?” Peter asked hesitantly. He didn’t want to assume the answer. Tony hadn’t explicitly defined anything. Maybe Happy knew something he didn’t?

“Ah,” Happy said.

What’s that supposed to mean?

Happy said it like he knew something. Like he’d come to some unspoken conclusion based on Peter’s question. Peter had a feeling what Happy was getting at.

“What?” Peter pressed. He wanted to know what Happy meant.

“It’s none of my business, kid. I shouldn’t have asked.”

Peter crossed his arms. He knew Tony liked him and cared about him, wanted to spend time with him, but by that definition, he could have been a friend with benefits, or a semi-frequent hookup. Even just a friend. Not an item, though. Not a boyfriend or a partner. _Whatever. If Tony doesn’t want to say anything about me, that’s fine. I’m lucky he’s even spending time with me at all._

* * *

Tony waited a bit after Peter had left to check in with Happy to make sure he’d gotten home all right.

“You still with the kid?” Tony asked.

“Just dropped him off. Anything else, boss?”

“Nah, you’re good for the day,” Tony replied.

“Sounds good. I’ll head home then.”

“How’d he seem, Hap?” Tony added after a moment.

“Like he usually does? Fidgety. Bouncy. He makes me nervous.”

Tony laughed into the phone. “Not upset?”

“Well.” Happy was quiet while he thought back to Peter’s demeanour while he sat in the backseat. “He was quiet, and he didn’t ask me how I got my name like he usually does. Oh,” Happy huffed, “he mentioned what a great guy you are. I could practically see the stars in his eyes.”

Tony ran his fingers across his goatee. “Sounds about right.”

“Listen, Tony. I don’t really feel right mentioning this, but you asked me before for advice about how to treat the kid, so I’m gonna say this.”

Tony waited.

“You should tell him what you want from him,” Happy suggested.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I just get the impression that he feels lost in all this. Tony, he’s 17. I’m not even going to say anything about that, but you should remember that he’s probably new at this. If you’re just in it casually, you should probably let him know, and if it’s more than that, same thing.”

Tony chewed his lip. “Since when are you such an advocate for the kid? You act like going out to Queens is exile.”

Happy chuckled. “Because he’s not like the sort of people you usually go for. He’s a lot younger, too. I don’t want to see him get hurt.”

“Who are you even working for?” Tony took off his glasses even though Happy couldn’t see him.

“When you finally decide what you’re doing with him, probably both of you,” Happy joked. “I’m going for asset management, you know, so…I’m managing the assets.”

“Jesus,” Tony complained. “All right. I’m hanging up now.”

Tony wasn’t sure what else he could do short of tattooing _I love Peter_ on his forehead. He’d told the kid flat out he’d liked him, and he’d seen the shrine he had going on in his closet. What else was there to be said? He was going to have to think of something grandiose if he had any hope of keeping Peter in his life and keeping him happy. But what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg I'm so sorry lmao. I know everybody is one second away from knocking Peter and Tony's heads together and screaming at them to get their shit together. I promise it's on its way. Thank you for your patience hehehehe.


	21. Twenty-One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter gets interviewed about winning the scholarship.

Peter read over the email that Pepper Potts had sent him. It outlined some potential questions that the journalist interviewing him might ask. It all seemed standard. Pepper had included some tips on body language and key words to employ. She had also mentioned that she’d chosen the reporter specifically because she had experience with stories involving Stark Industries. Apparently, the woman had originally condemned Stark for being a weapons manufacturer, but after Tony had changed his tune, she’d become a champion for the company.

He had to admit he was a bit excited that the woman was from Vanity Fair. Logically, he’d known that the scholarship was a big deal, but now that an interview was actually taking place, it really hit him.

Peter was nervous, though; Pepper had been adamant in the email. _Remember, you need to emphasize that you and Tony did not know each other prior to the assembly. You can refer to Tony as a role model or mentor, but you have to be as vague as possible about being familiar with him in any other capacity._

Peter was willing to do anything he could to make sure Tony didn’t get any negative publicity, but it still stung to have Pepper basically telling him to keep his mouth shut. He wondered if Tony had seen this email. Tony had told him right to his face that he wasn’t interested in hiding anything between them, but this email told a different story. Peter hoped that Tony was just waiting until he turned 18 to come out with it, or maybe until he started school. Then it wouldn’t make a difference.

Peter would’ve killed to have Tony publicly claim him. He craved it, imagining Tony telling everyone that they were together. _Just be patient. Maybe if you nail the interview, he’ll see how good you are. Make him happy and he’ll make his choice._

The principal was more than okay with Peter using the library for his interview. Peter could’ve set the school on fire, and the principal would’ve just given him a slap on the wrist. Since he’d won the scholarship, Midtown had been the topic of conversation within the academic community. Enrollment was predicted to be up by a few hundred in the upcoming school year. The teachers were getting more funding, and morale within the school was high. Peter skipping class to interview for Vanity Fair was encouraged.

Peter tried to remember all of the tips Pepper had sent him as he walked into the library to meet the reporter. It was a written piece, so he hadn’t needed to dress up for the interview. He imagined that Tony would’ve sent him something if it had been a video; the man liked people associated with him to look nice. He wished he and Tony could’ve done a joint interview, but the man had been scheduled to do a presentation in DC. Tony had mentioned it a couple of weeks prior, but Peter had completely forgotten. Tony was always going somewhere with somebody. Some sort of military expo so that Stark Industries could get more funding for their agricultural division. It was hard to keep track.

Peter had gotten a _Good luck. You’ll do great._ text from Tony in the morning, but he wasn’t so sure. Was he ready for this?

“Mr. Parker,” the woman greeted. She was already waiting for him.

“H-hi,” Peter stammered. “Hey.”

“I’m Christine Everhart. Please have a seat.”

Peter nodded, sliding into the seat he usually sat in for decathlon practice.

“I’m told this is your first interview? Don’t worry. I’ll go easy on you.”

Peter smiled meekly.

Christine returned the smile. It was all teeth, and she had a hard look in her eyes. He wondered what her version of easy was.

“Okay, let’s get started.” She sat down across from Peter and set her phone down on the table.

Peter could see the recording app open.

“Just be natural, Peter,” Christine suggested. “We’re just having a conversation. Don’t even pay attention to the recorder.”

Peter rubbed his fingers against the palms of his hands. They were clammy.

“Only a few quotes out of what you say will actually even make it to the article,” she explained. “The rest is just my impression of you, and my paraphrasing of what you tell me. The more open you are, the better I can pin you down. You’ll come across exactly as you want to.”

Peter nodded. He was still intimidated. Christine was wearing a posh business suit. Her makeup and hair were flawless. Everything about her screamed capable. Peter was thankful that Pepper had set him up with her, though. If she was good at her job, she would be able to spin the article positively. Mr. Stark and his company would be in the clear. Peter remembered what he had to do. He had to sell it and keep Tony safe. If he fucked up, there would be nothing but bad publicity for SI, and he couldn’t do that to Tony.

Christine started easy as promised. A few introductory questions about his favourite classes at school, his hobbies, his extracurriculars, and his social circle. Peter was starting to relax, and he found himself leaning forward in his seat. Talking to Christine wasn’t so bad. He felt like the interview was going well when she dropped the big question.

“How well do you know Tony Stark?”

Peter stiffened. “He’s, well. I don’t know him that well, actually.” Peter found it easier to answer

when he realized he wasn’t lying. He didn’t know much about Tony. “I’ve talked to him a couple times about the scholarship, and like, my project proposal and stuff.”

Christine nodded. “What’s your impression of Tony Stark? Did he seem to really care about your project? Or was it more out of obligation that he spoke to you about it?”

Peter deliberated. “He seemed excited about it, to be honest. I mean, he probably sees tons of proposals and ideas, so I’m really flattered that he thought mine deserved attention.”

“How did you find out that you won the scholarship, Peter? How’d you feel when you realized that you were the best out of everyone across the country who’d applied? Was it exciting?”

Peter let himself smile. “I was sort of in disbelief, actually? When Mr. Stark came to the school, it was crazy. Everyone was clapping and excited for me, and it felt really good.”

“So there was an assembly at your school?” Christine wondered. “That’s where you found out you’d won?”

Peter nodded. “Y-yeah. It was a big surprise.”

“That’s interesting,” Christine commented. “I have down here that Tony Stark presented you with the scholarship on May 16th.”

“Yeah, that sounds right? I know it was a few weeks ago.”

“Tony Stark was seen at the school in April,” Christine stated.

“Oh, I don’t know.” Peter shrugged. “I guess maybe he was setting up the assembly with the principal or something.”

“Does Tony Stark usually do that sort of thing for you, Peter?”

“What do you mean?”

“Stark Industries is worth billions of dollars. It has thousands of staff, and yet Tony Stark, the owner of the company, comes to Queens personally to set up an assembly for your scholarship reveal when he could’ve had countless others do it? Or maybe he could’ve just sent an email?”

Peter shifted in his seat. Was he allowed to just walk out of this? She was laying on the heat, and he wasn’t prepared. She was acting like this was an interrogation, like he was some sort of criminal.

“I don’t know a lot about how the company runs,” Peter said calmly. “I’m not even sure how you knew he was at the school because I hadn’t heard. Usually gossip travels fast here, so I think I would’ve known if Tony Stark came to Midtown. I know lots of kids would’ve been excited.”

Christine smirked. “The secretary at the office said Tony Stark came in, and that he’d asked for you to be paged down. Did you forget that he asked for you personally? A couple weeks before the school even knew about the scholarship?”

Peter clenched his teeth. Fuck she was good.

“You know, kid, if you knew him before, you can just say so.”

“I—” Peter tried. He had no idea what to say. “I’m surprised that a school secretary would just talk about private student matters with you.” Peter shrugged. “They’re not really supposed to tell strangers about what goes on. It’s not exactly appropriate.”

“48-year-old men hanging around schools isn’t really appropriate either.” Christine raised her eyebrows.

“Mr. Stark funds a lot of schools. He gave everybody at Midtown tickets to his Expo. I think he just likes helping people,” Peter evaded. “If people think it’s inappropriate that he’s hanging around a school, then maybe he should just stop giving scholarships and grants all together. Since it’s so inappropriate to help students.”

Christine shrugged.

“Do you have anything else to ask me about the actual scholarship? Or are you trying to flame Mr. Stark?” Peter frowned. “Pepper Potts told me that you were supposed to be a fan of the company or something. Why are you doing this?”

Christine smirked. “I like to play my cards right. I had every intention of coming in here today for a standard interview.”

“Yeah, well what changed?” Peter frowned. “You’re being really unfair.” Peter felt out of character. He had a hard enough time standing up for himself when it came to Flash, so he was surprised at himself for being so bold with a professional journalist, but she was attacking Tony while she attacked him, and Peter wouldn't stand for that. He would've told anyone off for criticizing Tony.

“I met someone interesting on the way in here,” Christine admitted. “One of your best friends, apparently.”

Peter’s stomach dropped. He knew exactly who she was talking about. Would Flash ever stop trying to ruin his life?

“He told me all about you and your lunch dates with Tony Stark. The new tech you’ve been sporting. How you and Tony were texting each other for weeks leading up to the announcement. Seemed to me like there’s a lot more going on here than Tony just being a casual benefactor. That in combination with you leaving the party with him this weekend…I wanted to hear it from you.”

“I wouldn’t believe everything that Flash says,” Peter said carefully. “He’s not my friend, and he doesn’t know anything about me or Mr. Stark. He just doesn’t like that I won the scholarship.”

“Did you really win it though?” Christine asked.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Isn’t it true that you did what you had to do to get that scholarship?”

Peter stood up from the table so forcefully that the chair toppled over behind him. “No. I earned it.”

“What did you have to do to earn it? Sleep with him?”

Peter glared, but the effect of it was ruined when tears started falling.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Christine laughed. “I think everyone’s slept with Tony Stark for some reason or another. I have.”

Peter felt like he was going to be sick. Just like he had run out of the cafeteria on Monday, he ran out of the library and away from Christine. He didn’t even stop at his locker to get his backpack. 

* * *

Peter was hiding under his blanket when his phone went off. He was almost too scared to look at it. Probably Tony to tell him it was over. All the bad publicity wouldn’t be worth the trouble of keeping him around.

**Tony Stark:** How’d the interview go?

How the fuck was he supposed to answer that? Awful? Terrible? Disastrous?

May knocked on the door. “Peter, what do you want for dinner?”

Peter sighed. She hadn’t even known he’d been home most of the day. He wanted to keep it that way; he didn’t want to tell her anything was wrong. When May was worried, it was no fun for anybody.

“I’m not really hungry, May,” Peter called through the door. “I’ll just have a snack later.”

Peter held his breath, waiting to see if May would accept or question his suggestion.

“Okay. I’ll make some for you just in case.”

Peter busied himself on his phone for the rest of the night, refreshing Vanity Fair’s website repeatedly to see if the story had come out yet. He knew it was supposed to be a written piece in the next issue, but he wanted to cover all his bases. If Christine was as evil as she seemed, there would probably be an online post. He was praying there wouldn’t be a story at all. All Peter knew for sure was that he’d completely fucked everything up and that Flash was an asshole.

Peter was able to access the server Tony had created for him through his phone, so he decided to work on his designs. He had time to kill, after all, and no homework since he’d forgotten it in his locker.

**Ned:** Dude where’d you go?

 **Ned:** I looked for you in the hall at lunch

 **Ned:** Did you end up going somewhere else for the interview?

 **Peter:** Sorry man. I bombed it and fucked everything up. 

**Peter:** I went home sick. May doesn’t know.

 **Ned:** Does Tony know?

 **Peter:** Just you.

 **Ned:** Do you want me to come over? We can talk about it.

 **Peter:** It’s okay buddy. Thanks though.

 **Peter:** Thank god tomorrow's Anniversary Day

 **Peter:** I can't even think about going to school.

 **Ned:** It'll all work out. :)

 **Ned:** Text me if you need to talk. I’m sure it wasn't that bad. :(

Peter’s mood started to improve after he spent some time reconfiguring his calculations and adjusting the prototypical designs Tony had created. He wished Jarvis was part of his phone’s programming. He wanted somebody to talk to. He loved working on his project but using the phone to do it just reminded him of Tony. Working with such advanced technology in his puny bedroom reminded him of how little he had compared to Tony, and how much he stood to lose when the man found out about the interview. He’d been explicitly told by Pepper to keep his mouth shut, and Christine had backed him into a corner.

The worst part was that he could barely remember what he admitted to. It had all happened so fast. Christine had pulled out so many facts, and Flash had gotten to her first, so there was nothing he could have done, but maybe there was if he had been better and more experienced with doing interviews. He knew it wasn’t _all_ his fault, but that didn’t stop him from feeling guilty.

Tony was going to be so pissed at him, and so was Pepper. 

When his phone went off again later, Peter thought for sure this was it, his reckoning, but apparently Tony still didn’t know.

**Tony Stark:** Everything all right?

 **Tony Stark:** I’ll be back in New York tomorrow.

 **Tony Stark:** Let me know if you want to do something. I’ll be free.

 **Tony Stark:** xoxo

Peter shook his head. Tony wasn’t going to want to see him after he heard what happened, and it was only a matter of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe poor Peter. :(( Sorry to everyone who specifically said they hoped the interview went well, although I think Peter did a great job!! He's worried that it's somehow his fault when he did nothing wrong, but it will all get sorted out, don't worry. ;) (also fuck Flash hahahaha what a dick)
> 
> Also Anniversary Day is a holiday that's sometimes called Brooklyn-Queens day. It's a New York thing, but I'm not from there, so maybe it's not 100% accurate. It basically just means they get a day off school.


	22. Twenty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finds out what happened and goes to see Peter.

Tony approached the jet eagerly. He couldn’t wait to get back to the city and see Peter. He wanted to take him out to celebrate his first interview, although truth be told, he would have been taking him out regardless. His business in DC had been a success, and he’d been happy to see Rhodey again, but he always liked going home.

The plane was pilotless, so it was just him. He thought about having Peter on it one day. That would certainly make the journey from DC to Manhattan more interesting.

Tony settled into his seat and pulled out his phone to see if Peter had texted back yet. It had been nearly twelve hours since he’d sent the messages, and not having received a response yet was very unusual when it came to Peter. The boy typically answered within minutes since he was perpetually on his phone.

There were only emails from about a thousand other people. Several missed calls and texts on his business number and a few on his private one. Nothing from Peter. He smiled for a second when his phone displayed an incoming call, but it was just Pepper.

Tony figured he better pick up.

“What’s up?” Tony greeted.

“Why haven’t you been answering your phone?”

Tony knew instantly from the tone of her voice that something was wrong.

Pepper continued when Tony didn’t say anything. “The article for Vanity Fair…Peter’s interview? They decided to skip the printed version. They put a post up on their website fifteen minutes ago.”

Tony sat up in his seat. “I thought you said a reporter was doing this thing, not some blogger.”

“It was, but—”

“Pepper, what the hell happened?” Tony asked. He had the webpage pulled up before she could even respond. **_Tony Stark Having Romantic Affair with 17 y/o Scholarship Recipient._**

“Who the fuck—” Tony glanced at the writer’s name. “You had Christine Everhart interview him?” Tony demanded sharply.

Now Peter dodging his messages was making a lot more sense.

“Yeah, Tony. She’s done a lot of good reporting for Vanity Fair, saying good stuff about you and the company… The kid must’ve slipped up. You have to talk to him. We have to do damage control, but he won’t answer my calls.”

“You throw him to the sharks, and somehow this is his fault?” Tony bit. “The kid’s never done an interview before in his life, and you gave him to Christine Everhart? What’s a matter with you?”

“Tony, don’t try and turn this around on me. You—”

“I swear to God. If this ruins things between him and me…” Tony didn’t finish. He ended the call.

“Jarvis,” Tony bit.

“Sir?”

“Get me into her email,” Tony commanded.

“Christine Everhart’s?” Jarvis asked for clarification.

“Yeah,” Tony answered. He didn’t like to do this, but he needed to hear for himself what exactly that bitch had said to Peter. It was guaranteed that she had the audio file in her email.

Tony was pacing the plane as soon as they’d reached altitude. “Fuck!”

“Sir, I have the file,” Jarvis announced.

Tony fixed himself a drink while he listened. He’d need something to throw. Tony listened to the first few minutes of audio with narrowed eyes. Nothing out of sorts, but he knew Everhart, and he could feel what she was doing through the recording. She was trying to make Peter comfortable and get him off his game before she went in for the kill.

_So there was an assembly at your school? That’s where you found out you’d won?_

Here she goes.

_Y-yeah. It was a big surprise._

_That’s interesting. I have down here that Tony Stark presented you with the scholarship on May 16th._

_Yeah, that sounds right? I know it was a few weeks ago._

_Tony Stark was seen at the school in April._

_Oh, I don’t know. I guess maybe he was setting up the assembly with the principal or something._

Not bad, kid.

_Does Tony Stark usually do that sort of thing for you, Peter?_

_What do you mean?_

_Stark Industries is worth billions of dollars. It has thousands of staff, and yet Tony Stark, the owner of the company, comes to Queens personally to set up an assembly for your scholarship reveal when he could’ve had countless others do it? Or maybe he could’ve just sent an email?_

Tony rolled his eyes as he listened to the next few exchanges. Peter was holding steady considering how little experience he had with the press.

_I don’t know a lot about how the company runs. I’m not even sure how you knew he was at the school because I hadn’t heard. Usually gossip travels fast here, so I think I would’ve known if Tony Stark came to Midtown. I know lots of kids would’ve been excited._

_The secretary at the office said Tony Stark came in, and that he’d asked for you to be paged down. Did you forget that he asked for you personally? A couple weeks before the school even knew about the scholarship?_

Tony gritted his teeth. This was exactly why he hadn’t wanted Peter to talk to the press at all. If he absolutely had to—which according to Pepper he did—it would have been better if he hadn’t been instructed to brush things under the rug. If Pepper had just told Peter to tell the truth, there would be no way to catch him in a lie or twist things, but then again it was Christine Everhart. It wouldn’t matter what Peter did or didn’t say, she would make it fit her own narrative.

_You know, kid, if you knew him before, you can just say so._

_I— I’m surprised that a school secretary would just talk about private student matters with you. They’re not really supposed to tell strangers about what goes on. It’s not exactly appropriate._

_48-year-old men hanging around schools isn’t really appropriate either._

_Mr. Stark funds a lot of schools. He gave everybody at Midtown tickets to his Expo. I think he just likes helping people. If people think it’s inappropriate that he’s hanging around a school, then maybe he should just stop giving scholarships and grants all together. Since it’s so inappropriate to help students._

Tony was pleased that Peter stood up for him, but he didn’t think he deserved it. Peter shouldn’t have had to lie about anything or evade answering. It wasn’t fair to him. He wondered if Peter would even walk to speak to him after this.

_Do you have anything else to ask me about the actual scholarship? Or are you trying to flame Mr. Stark? Pepper Potts told me that you were supposed to be a fan of the company or something. Why are you doing this?_

Good boy, call her out.

_I like to play my cards right. I had every intention of coming in here today for a standard interview._

_Yeah, well what changed? You’re being really unfair._

Amazing opportunity for a pun…Vanity Unfair.

_I met someone interesting on the way in here. One of your best friends, apparently._

Fucking _Eugene._ I’m going to sue the absolute shit out of him.

_He told me all about you and your lunch dates with Tony Stark. The new tech you’ve been sporting. How you and Tony were texting each other for weeks leading up to the announcement. Seemed to me like there’s a lot more going on here than Tony just being a casual benefactor. That in combination with you leaving the party with him this weekend…I wanted to hear it from you._

Jealous much?

_I wouldn’t believe everything that Flash says. He’s not my friend, and he doesn’t know anything about me or Mr. Stark. He just doesn’t like that I won the scholarship._

_Did you really win it though?_

Oh, you cow.

_What’s that supposed to mean?_

_Isn’t it true that you did what you had to do to get that scholarship?_

_No. I earned it._

_What did you have to do to earn it? Sleep with him?_

_It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I think everyone’s slept with Tony Stark for some reason or another. I have._

Tony threw the drink. _You fucking liar._

* * *

Tony didn’t say a word to Happy when he got into the back of the car waiting for him at the airport.

The man was damn lucky he’d been on time. Tony was in no mood to wait for anybody.

“Queens, Hogan,” Tony instructed. He put the divider up.

“Wait here,” Tony said when they pulled up in front of Peter’s building.

Tony tried to make his voice sound light when he buzzed Peter’s apartment.

“Hello?” May asked.

Tony sighed. He was hoping for Peter. “Hey, May. It’s Tony.”

“Oh, come on up!”

Peter hadn’t said anything to her then. She would’ve been ornery.

“Peter’s not feeling well,” May said with a pout. He’s been in his room since yesterday. Hasn’t really eaten much.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m here,” Tony admitted. “He hasn’t been answering his phone, so I thought I’d come see him in person.”

“Oh sure.” May nodded. “Can I get you something? A drink? I made this new recipe. Organic peach cinnamon muffins.”

“Maybe on the way out.”

“Okay.” She led Tony through the apartment to Peter’s door. She knocked lightly.

“Peter?”

“What?” Peter groaned from behind the door.

“Tony’s here,” May said gently. “Are you feeling well enough to see him?”

Tony held his hands behind back. He was itching to reach for the door and bypass May completely.

Peter didn’t answer right away, and it put Tony on edge. Then finally, “Come in.”

Tony glanced at May, managing a weak smile before entering the room.

Tony closed the door behind him.

Peter didn’t look up. He was sitting at his desk looking at the computer. He had his s-Glass phone next to him. It was projecting the cable design. Tony noticed that Peter had added more data and calculations to the file. _So he likes to distract himself with work too._

“Look at me,” Tony said.

Peter glanced up.

Tony could see the Vanity Fair article open on the boy’s desktop. He walked over to sit on the bed next to Peter’s desk.

“Peter,” Tony tried again. “Talk to me.”

“What for?” Peter complained. “There’s nothing to say.”

Tony frowned. “I can think of a few things.”

“Like what? It’s over? You can’t spend time with me anymore because of what happened? I get it. You don’t have to say anything.”

“Excuse me?” Tony asked.

“I’m just gonna give up the scholarship, Mr. Stark. I already decided,” Peter explained. “If I forfeit it, then you can give it to somebody else. You won’t look bad anymore, and you can forget that my stupid interview even happened.”

“Peter, if you think I’m letting you give up the scholarship, you have another thing coming,” Tony huffed. “You earned it. End of story.”

“I know that,” Peter agreed. “But I can’t be the reason why they’re saying all these horrible things about you.”

“Horrible things about _me_?” Tony said. “Are you kidding? They’re calling you a manipulative golddigger. A fraud. I’ve had much worse than this, Pete. I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about you.”

“I’m not going to be the reason your company takes a hit. I refuse. I’ll find another school to go to that I can pay for without your money. It’s my fault that this is happening. They’re saying you’re a pervert for being with me, meanwhile I’m the one who started everything. All the things that have been happening between us…I know they meant more to me than they did to you, and I get that. Don’t feel guilty for needing to keep your distance. I mean, it was probably going to happen sooner or later.”

“What about me being in this room right now gives you the impression that I need to keep my distance?” Tony asked.

Peter shrugged. “I assume you’re here to tell me not to say anything else. Pepper already told me in her email that I should deny what we are, but I already know, Tony. You don’t need to tell me. I understand.”

Tony recoiled. He was surprised to find that Peter calling him Tony stung. “Pepper is on thin ice already, let me tell you that, kid.” He’d need to get into her email too to find out exactly what bullshit she was feeding Peter. Then they could have a nice talk about the piss poor job she’d done of preparing Peter for his interview. A part of him realized he wasn’t so innocent either. _Fuck._ It wasn’t fair that Peter was getting hurt over his own carelessness.

Peter frowned but didn’t say anything.

“Peter, I’m not here to give you shit. Nothing that happened was your fault. Pepper was the one who let that she-devil do the interview. That moron Flash was the one who gave her the inside scoop. I’m the one who wasn’t careful in the first place. I shouldn’t have exposed you like that by taking you out…breaking protocol. Me taking you home from my party fueled the fire. It gave Everhart the perfect in.”

“You regret spending the time with me?” Peter nodded. “Sounds about right.”

“Are you being purposely obtuse? I didn’t say that.”

Peter crossed his arms.

Tony continued, “Hell, if you can’t see it. I don’t know what I can say to you that will make you understand. I don’t regret spending time with you. I regret how reckless I’ve been with you. Selfish.”

Peter shrugged. “Whatever. In the end it all means the same thing, right? That we’re done?”

Tony opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t find his voice right away. He refused to lose Peter, over _this._

Peter turned back around to stare at the computer although he wasn’t typing anything.

“Is this about what she said about sleeping with me? Are you pissed about that? Because that’s the only reason I can see why you’re pushing me away.”

Peter whipped his head around. “Of course not. I don’t give a shit about who you fucked before you knew me. I realized that I have no idea who you are, or how to operate in your world. I don’t know where I stand with you. I—”

“—Kid,” Tony tried to interject.

“No, let me talk.” Peter stood up. “I don’t know anything about your past. I couldn’t have even told that lady the truth about what’s happening between us because I don’t actually know! And, you know, that’s completely fine because I knew right from the beginning that I was even lucky to be in the same room as you, and when you touched me, I knew it was the best thing that would ever happen to me. Yeah, it sucks that you had sex with someone that’s awful. Mostly because it just seems really unlike you to be with someone like that. You…You’re amazing, and generous, and perfect. It doesn’t make sense for you to waste your time with people like her, and now I guess people like me. I really tried to be good enough for you, but I couldn’t measure up.” Peter shrugged. “I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. I really am.”

Tony wanted to jump out of the window. He’d never even thought about sleeping with Christine Everhart, and he had to get shit about it because of her lie. All anyone ever thought about him was that he took anyone who propositioned him. If he was being fair, that had been a carefully crafted reputation. People thought he’d fucked his way through half of Hollywood. They thought he was an arrogant prick with a drink in his hand at all times. Tony let them think it—he took pleasure in surprising people who underestimated him. Nobody had any idea about 90 percent of the projects he had cooking in the lab. Nobody had any idea that he hadn’t slept with about 99 percent of the people linked to him. The only person who he cared to let onto the secret was Peter Parker, and the kid wouldn’t listen.

The worst part was that Peter blamed himself. He was playing the martyr and breaking up with him before he could be dumped. As if Tony wasn’t the lucky one to have Peter. He balled his fists. Everything Peter was saying was fair, and that pissed him off more. He knew he hadn’t been forthcoming with Peter, and he knew he hadn’t explicitly defined their relationship, but he thought everything that had happened between them on Monday had solved it.

Why couldn’t Peter just understand how much he meant to him?

Tony thought about the list. How Peter had basically handed his heart to him in written form. All he’d gotten back for it was a hug. Tony tried to think of one example where he’d told Peter how special he was. He fell short, and he felt pathetic. Even now the words were escaping him. Peter was laying it all out on the line, and Tony couldn’t do anything but stand there like an idiot. He had never hated himself more.

“I’m gonna make this right, Pete. I promise. Whatever it takes,” Tony said. He pulled out Peter’s list from his suit jacket. He’d taken it with him to DC so he could read the hard copy on the plane.

“Take a look at this. Read what you wrote yourself, and maybe you can see what I’ve been trying to tell you this whole time.”

Tony walked to the door. “I’m sorry, Peter. I’m gonna do better. Okay?”

* * *

Peter glared after Tony. _He couldn’t even use his words to break up with me_. _First I’m in limbo with him because I don’t know if we’re together. He comes over to clear it up, and I still don’t fucking know what the hell’s going on._

Peter snatched the paper up from his bed. _Oh that’s just great. He’s returning my pathetic list to me. He doesn’t want it anymore._

Peter tried not to cry. He unfolded the paper. The last time he’d seen it was in Tony’s closet. It pleased him that the man had moved it to his suit jacket. Maybe before he’d fucked over the interview, Tony had liked the list. He’d brought it with him to DC. Peter’s stomach clenched. He read over the word’s he’d written, blinking in surprise that some of the points on the list were highlighted. He hadn’t noticed that before.

“Peter,” May said, coming into his room. “What’s going on?”

Peter just walked up to May and hugged her tightly.

“Peter.” May hugged him back. “What’s wrong? Did Tony—What did he do?”

“It was me, May,” Peter cried. “I ruined everything.”

“It’s okay, sweetie,” May assured. “It’s going to be okay.”

“Look at this,” Peter said, detaching from the hug.

May frowned, following Peter to the computer. She sat in the chair so she could see the screen at the right angle. She began reading.

Peter let himself fall back onto the bed. He’d read the damn article fifty times already and probably could’ve recited it word for word. Christine had been right about only a few quotes making it into the final cut. It disgusted him.

_I sat down with Stark Industries’ most recent scholarship recipient, Peter Parker. At 17 years old, he is about to graduate from Midtown School of Science and Technology. What originally began as a standard Get to Know Them piece turned into a scandal when a fellow student of Parker’s revealed that Tony Stark, 48, had been courting the teenager for months prior to publicly awarding him the scholarship in an assembly at his high school[…]Peter was not forthcoming about his relationship with Mr. Stark, but his distress during the interview certainly indicates guilt. It is currently unclear whether Peter Parker began a relationship with Tony Stark to ensure he received the scholarship, or whether Tony Stark awarded Parker with the scholarship to ensure he received romantic favor. When one takes into consideration the fact that Peter is only 17…_

“Oh, babe.” May looked up from the computer. “I’m so sorry. What happened?”

“The interview was just supposed to be in the magazine. A normal article like everyone else did, but Flash got to the reporter before I even had a chance to say anything. He told her all about me and Tony. So, she wrote this instead. Apparently, it was such a scoop that they posted on the website. They’re not going to run it in the magazine anymore, I guess. I don’t really know much about it. Tony’s CEO sent me an email. She’s trying to get the article removed, but I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

May furrowed her brows. “What’s going to happen now? Are you and Tony still…did he break up with you?”

“We weren’t even together.” Peter shrugged. “But if we even were, I guess I broke up with him.”

“And he just accepted it?”

“Actually, he wasn’t very clear about anything. All he said was that he was going to fix it.”

“Well that sounds like he cares, doesn’t it? I mean, was he mad at you? Doesn’t he understand it wasn’t your fault?”

Peter sniffed. “I think so, but it doesn’t matter. Even without the stupid interview, this was never going to last.”

“I’m sorry this happened, babe. I shouldn’t have let you even start hanging around with him…I should’ve known something like this would happen.”

“The worst part is I’m still worried about him. I don’t care what they say about me. I just want to make sure his company doesn’t take a hit.”

May shook her head. “If this breaks the company, I’ll be awful surprised. It’s just a little scandal. Everyone will see that you got that scholarship on your own merit.”

“I’m giving up the scholarship,” Peter admitted.

“Peter Benjamin Parker. How dare you? How can Tony let you?”

“He doesn’t want me to,” Peter admitted. “But I think I have to. It’s the only way. The article even says it…whether people think I did stuff with him for the scholarship, or he gave me the scholarship so he could have me…it doesn’t matter. It all comes down to our age difference. You should see the comments on the article, May. What they’re saying about him makes me sick. As if I…as if he took advantage. You have to understand. If I keep my distance from him, give up the scholarship…I can try to make it go away.”

“Peter, I don’t think that’s how it’ll work,” May argued. “It’s already out. According to the public, it’s done. Staying away now is just going to make them think you’re guilty. If Tony still cares about you, that’s only going to hurt him.”

“He doesn’t care about me that much,” Peter argued. “I’m not worth the trouble.”

May frowned. “I don’t think that’s true. Tony likes you a lot more than you think.”

“Doubt it,” Peter sighed. “I’m an idiot for thinking I could keep him.”

“Remember when I told you sometimes adults aren’t as smart as they seem?”

Peter nodded.

“Maybe Tony hasn’t found the words to tell you what he’s feeling yet. Give him a chance to make it right like he said he would. He wouldn’t have come here if he didn’t want you anymore, Peter.”

“Are you on his side?” Peter demanded.

“I know what concern looks like, and Tony looked worried. I have a feeling this isn’t over.”

“Of course he’s worried. The company, his reputation—”

“No, Peter. He was worried about _you._ I know what that expression looks like. Believe me. Tony Stark loves you. I promise you that.”

Peter scoffed, but he didn’t argue. He wanted to believe May was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeek the drama.


	23. Twenty-Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony holds a press conference.

Tony made his way out of the Parkers’ apartment as quickly as he could, already dialing Pepper as he reached the car.

“Happy, Stark Tower,” Tony directed just as Pepper answered.

“Potts, I want a press conference. I’m heading back to the tower now,” Tony said before Pepper even had a chance to speak. “You have an hour.”

“I’m already working on it, Tony, but you know it takes longer than an hour to set up a press conference.”

“Yeah? It takes less than an hour to drive from Queens to Manhattan, so I’d say an hour is generous.”

“What are you doing?” Pepper asked. “What are you going to say?”

“I’m telling them that Peter and I are together.” Tony didn’t mention that according to Peter they weren’t. A small part of him wondered if he would be announcing a relationship that no longer existed, but a bigger part of him knew that this announcement was going to solve everything. Finally convince Peter that he wasn’t just optional in Tony’s life. He was Tony’s life.

Pepper sighed but didn’t argue. “Fine, well. Can you at least not call him kid when you’re up there and try not to be too…abrasive.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Okay,” Pepper answered. “I’ll get it done.”

“Good,” Tony replied. He could’ve ended the phone call at any time, but he was hoping to get an apology before he disconnected. Not for himself, but for Peter. It was the least that he deserved after getting so many mixed signals and misguided instructions. After what he’d been through because of Flash and Christine and because of how poorly he’d been prepared for it.

“Anything else?” Pepper asked.

“I’ll let you know after the conference.”

While Happy sped towards Manhattan, Tony checked his phone to see how big the scandal was blowing up. It had been less than two hours since Vanity Fair had put the story up on their website, and there were already blog posts, and YouTube videos, and thousands of Tweets on the subject.

“It’s been a few hours since that post went up,” Tony complained to Happy. “It’s already blown up that big?”

Happy made eye contact with him in the rear-view mirror. “People have been seeing you two all along, but nobody knew who the kid was until today. Now people are coming out of the woodwork with all sorts of garbage. Making connections…”

“Like what?” Tony demanded. He didn’t even want to see it for himself on the websites. He refused to contribute to their hits and views beyond what he’d already done by reading the headlines of the search results.

“Somebody said they saw you and the kid at Starbucks, others name dropped _Per Se_ and, heh, Burger King, outside your bowling alley, on the freeway…There’s a lot of evidence, boss.”

“Yeah, well why wait until now to come out with it? Cowards.”

Happy shrugged. “Guess they didn’t know what it all meant until Everhart opened her big mouth, and you know, these people are morons. You can’t apply reason to them.”

Tony huffed. True.

“Really,” Happy added, “the article is a lot of speculation and conjecture. She got all her information from that idiot kid, and Pete didn’t confirm shit. You can deny everything if you wanted to.”

Tony shook his head. “I’m not gonna do that.”

“No?” Happy prompted. “You’re getting slammed in the press. You don’t want to stop it?”

“This isn’t about me anymore, Hap. Peter doesn’t deserve any of this.” Tony shook his head. “All of this is my fault. I fucked up when I dragged him into this, but I was too selfish to leave him alone, and then I fucked up when I didn’t tell him how I felt about him earlier. Not only did it blow up in my face, but it blew up in his.”

Happy tossed a sympathetic look over his shoulder.

“I need to make it right and lying isn’t on the table. I don’t care what Pepper says. I should’ve shielded him from this. I was an idiot.”

“He’s a good kid,” Happy agreed. “It’s not fair, but it’s not _all_ on you.”

“He wants to give up the scholarship and stay away from me, so that I don’t look bad. Can you believe that?”

Happy raised his eyebrows. “Are you serious?”

Tony picked at his fingernails. “Yep.”

“So,” Tony continued, “like I told Potts, I’m finally gonna do what I should’ve done a long time ago. Tell everybody the truth.”

Happy smiled. “It’s about time, sir.”

“I only hope it’s not too late.”

“Like I said, Peter’s a good kid. I don’t think I’ve seen the last of him.”

* * *

It had been a while since Tony had needed to hold a press conference. Still, it was just like riding a bike. Seeing all the greedy vultures sitting before the podium waiting for him to feed them made Tony’s skin crawl. He loved going toe to toe with people who thought they knew better. As usual, they’d underestimate him and clock him as impulsive, and as usual, he’d prove them wrong with the facts. More was riding on his ability to stick it to these assholes than ever before because he was speaking on his and Peter’s behalf. He needed to get things right for Peter. He owed him that much.

“Hey everyone,” Tony greeted. He looked out across the podium. He eyed Pepper and Happy standing off to the side. He noted Christine sitting right in the front row. She’d probably been casing the building before they’d even called for a press conference. “I assume you all saw the article.” He raised his eyebrows. “And that you know who Peter Parker is.”

Someone spoke, “Is it true, Mr. Stark? Are you dating Peter Parker? The boy who won your scholarship.”

Everyone in the audience turned from the man asking the question to Tony in unison like creepy puppets.

“Why don’t we ask Christine. She knows all.” Tony laughed. “Christine? Comment?”

Christine stood up. “As far as I’m concerned, the question isn’t whether you’re dating Parker, it’s whether you were before you gave him the scholarship. That suggests Stark Industries is biased and that you’re willing to trade money for sexual favours. Or he is.”

Tony shrugged. “For the sake of transparency. I’d like the play the interview that Christine Everhart actually recorded. Maybe it’ll shed some light on how much of her blog post, I mean article, was conjecture.”

Christine glared. “How do you even have that?”

“You think you’re the only one with a recording app on their phone?” Tony smirked. He was bluffing hard, but it was reasonable to think Peter might have also recorded the interview and provided him with a copy.

Tony watched the reporters listen intently to the audio as it played. He watched a guilty expression cross Christine’s face as she heard herself bully a teenager.

When it was finally over, many of the people in the room looked a lot less judgemental than they had before listening.

“In case anyone missed it,” Tony began, “You can hear her purposely goading Peter Parker. And, in case you were passed out during the whole thing, maybe you also noticed that he never admitted anything to her. Everything that she said in her article was based on what Flash, oops, _Eugene_ , Thompson told her. He’s been bullying Peter for months now, by the way. So yeah, totally reputable source.”

“Are you denying the accusations made in the article, Mr. Stark,” a woman called.

“Hell no.” Tony smirked. “Mr. Parker and I are together.”

Everyone was on their feet.

“Mr. Stark!”

“Tony!”

“Settle down, children.” Tony waved. “I’ll tell you anything you wanna know. Just one at time, please. For the sake of clarity.”

“Did Peter Parker start dating you in exchange for the scholarship?”

“No,” Tony responded. He tapped his watch. “If you look at the screen, you can see an email correspondence between me and my CEO Pepper Potts in March. She says I should check out Peter’s application for the scholarship, and I didn’t answer her for a full month.”

“What did you say back, Mr. Stark?”

Tony shrugged. “I said I’d call him myself. Let him know he’d won.”

“Why would you call an applicant personally?”

“Because his project proposal was one of the best I’d ever seen,” Tony responded. “That’s all there is to it. He applied. I accepted. We met. I announced it. We started dating. End of story.”

“You expect us to believe that?” Christine piped up.

“I mean, apparently you and I slept together—not—so you should know all about me, sweetheart.” Tony rolled his eyes. “Look in my eyes and tell me if I’m lying.”

“Why not revoke the scholarship and award it to another student?”

Christine cut in, “Because he’s rewarding his lover. He doesn’t want to pay for a stranger to go to school.”

Tony scoffed, “Peter earned the scholarship. I’m not taking it away from him.”

“Couldn’t you pay for his education out of your own pocket?” someone else asked.

“He doesn’t want to pay for two kids to go to school,” Christine added.

“Look who you’re talking to.” Tony pointed at himself. “You think I can’t afford to send two people to school?”

Nobody had anything to say to that.

“The cut and dry of it is that Peter Parker earned his scholarship the same way everyone else did, through academic excellence. I met him, got to know him, decided I wanted to date him, and then I did. He’s still going to MIT in the fall with the scholarship I decided he’d won before I even met him. It’s really not that hard of a concept to understand.”

“Did you help him get into MIT?”

“Sure.” Tony shrugged. “I gave him a reference letter. The dean said he’d already planned on accepting him without my involvement, anyways, and I’m very certain Peter isn’t sleeping with him. Besides, he’s going to have to actually do work while he’s there. I can’t hold his hand all the time even though I want to.”

Tony winked at the audience before continuing. “All the work he’ll do there will prove how much he deserved the award Stark Industries decided he should win.”

“You can’t just decide that your boyfriend gets special privileges,” Christine argued.

“Uh, yeah I can.” Tony clapped his hands. “What’s the point of having your own company if you can’t pull a few strings?”

“It’s not right,” she insisted. “It’s unfair.”

“Is it just me or do you sound a little jealous?” Tony inclined his head.

Christine glowered. “What will the other students who applied for your scholarship say when they find out you gave it to your boyfriend?”

“God I wish that were me?” Tony shrugged. “No, I’m kidding. The fact is, I gave away over 100 million dollars of grants, scholarships, and funding last year. I’ve been sending kids to school for the last twenty years, and I don’t plan on stopping. Peter just happened to win the most prestigious one, and he happened to be someone I liked. Since when is that a crime?”

“He’s in high school. He’s 17,” someone called from the back of the room.

Christine held out her hands. “Exactly. You’ve been ‘sending kids to school’ for longer than he’s been alive. How is that not a crime?”

“Let me get this straight. His IQ is over 160. He’s the age of consent in New York, and he’s won the most coveted scholarship in the country based off a design he created at 14…and you think that he’s somehow incapable of making his own decisions?”

“I think _you_ decided that if he wanted to get the money, he’d have to do whatever you wanted him to do.”

“Then why am I risking my entire reputation and company, so that I can clear things up? Do you think I’d do that if I was some sleazebag trying to manipulate him? Do you think I can’t just find somebody to sleep with for free if I was that desperate?” Tony glowered at Christine and shook his head. “Do you think I couldn’t just brush this all under the rug if I wanted to? After all, that interview proved nothing, pictures of me and him eating at a restaurant prove nothing. I’m electing to _tell_ everyone that he and I are a couple, so that I can show him how much he means to me. He’s not my dirty secret, and as far as I can tell, you don’t have a leg to stand on. How are you going to twist my words now, blondie?”

The reporters started looking at each other. That always meant that they were at a loss. It looked like the rabid dogs were backing down. They realized that the steak they thought they’d had was just a toy. It was no fun trying to expose somebody for something when they were putting themselves on blast and admitting to it flat out.

“This is getting boring,” Tony complained. “Allow me to summarize, everybody. Peter Parker won the scholarship because of his application and not because of my attraction to him. End of story. He's keeping it because I say so, and furthermore, when he goes to MIT this September, he's going to kick ass. No amount of money I give him can make him a genius. He did that on his own. We're together, he's the age of consent, and if you don't like it, feel free to boycott the company. I don't shake easy, and I don't appreciate so-called reporters harassing my boyfriend like some bullshit high school drama. Start reporting on some real news. No further comments." Tony held up a peace sign and walked out of the room.

Happy was right at his side when they got into the elevator.

“Jarvis. Upload to the SI website. YouTube too,” Tony directed.

“The video upload is at 13 percent, sir.”

“Thanks, J. Let me know when it goes live.”

“Of course, and may I add congratulations to you and Mr. Parker?”

Tony smiled. “You may.”

* * *

Peter scrolled through his phone. He’d been switching between the same few apps for almost the entire day. He was bored out of his mind, and even more miserable. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Tony had said to him, and how he’d given him back the list. Peter wanted to believe that he still had a chance, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up. Hearing May tell him that Tony Stark loved him had been heartwarming, but it stung as well. _How could Tony Stark possibly love me?_

His heart skipped a beat when a notification from YouTube popped up oh his screen. _StarkIndustriesPress has just uploaded a video._

Peter wanted to flick the notification away and ignore it, but he was curious. The Press version of the channel only uploaded interviews, conferences, and promotions. It had been a while since the channel updated. His stomach dropped when he realized what it would be. Tony had held a conference. His first instinct was to think that Tony was going to deny everything, but then he remembered how Tony had promised to do better and fix things. Maybe there was hope. _Fuck it. I might as well watch it._

Peter’s blood boiled when he saw Tony addressing Christine Everhart directly. Of course she was sitting front row.

_Mr. Parker and I are together._

“Oh my God.” Peter let go of his phone and jumped off the bed. “Oh my God! Holy shit!”

He snatched his phone to keep listening. _You and I slept together—not._ “She was lying?”

“May!” Peter yelled, running out of his room.

“What’s going on?”

“Look!” He set the phone down on the table and projected the video in the air. He pulled his hands apart to make the video large.

“Listen, listen, listen,” Peter demanded.

Peter alternated between staring at the screen and staring at his aunt waiting for a reaction.

“Peter!” May smiled. “I told you!” She slapped his arm.

“Can you believe it?” Peter shook his head. “I don’t believe it. This is the greatest day of my life. Tony Stark is my boyfriend!”

May shook her head fondly. “I’m glad he pulled his head out of his ass.”

“What should I do? Should I call him? Do you think he’s gonna come here? Should I wait?”

“I’m still trying to get that ‘age of consent’ comment out of my mind, but…I think maybe he deserves a call.” May tilted her head. “Why not?”

Peter hesitated before dialing. He felt sick. All the drama and excitement had thrown him of kilter. It was a lot to take in. More than anything, he felt guilty for being so difficult when Tony had stopped by earlier. Looking back, he could see that the man hadn’t been there to silence him. He finally dialed, knowing he’d been putting it off long enough. Peter had been waiting for Tony to define their relationship since the beginning, and he finally had. He didn’t need to be scared or unsure anymore.

Tony answered on the first ring. “Hey, kid.”

“Hey,” Peter answered. “Mr. Stark.”

“What’s up?” Tony asked.

“I saw the video.” Peter got straight to the point.

“You did?” Tony said in surprise. “It only went up a few minutes ago.”

“I’m a subscriber,” Peter laughed.

Tony chuckled in response. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that. If I had known she was going to be the one…I would’ve never let you do that interview.”

“I forgive you. It was her and Flash. I mean, you couldn’t have known that was going to happen, just like I didn’t, and I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did when you came to see me. Pushed you away when you were only trying to help. I was just scared, Tony. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. You never have to apologize to me,” Tony assured. “I could’ve been clearer with you. If you reacted wrong and pushed me away, it was only because I wasn’t holding onto you hard enough. It’s on me.”

Peter smiled into the phone because he couldn’t think of what to say to that. It was the perfect moment, and he was speechless for once.

“I don’t know if you caught it, but—”

“You didn’t have sex with her,” Peter finished Tony’s sentence.

“Yeah. She was goading you.”

“I wasn’t that upset, well, maybe I was.” Peter admitted. “That really stung, so I’m glad you didn’t.”

“I know, kid. I know,” Tony said. “And even if I had…wouldn’t make a difference. She’s nothing to me.”

“I want to see you,” Tony spoke again. “Can I come pick you up?”

“Yeah, of course. Yes,” Peter agreed immediately. “Absolutely.”

“Good because I’m already on my way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for uploading so late! My attention span/motivation (and will to live) has been absolutely shot lately. 
> 
> I hope this chapter is satisfying to you! 
> 
> xx
> 
> Also shout-out to chill!May supporting the Starker lmao could you even imagine?


End file.
